


Walking on Water

by blueskiess



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, Depression, Drama, F/M, Love Triangle ;), Romance, Swimming, What will reader-chan do?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-02-28 03:05:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 27,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13262304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueskiess/pseuds/blueskiess
Summary: You were Haru and Rin's childhood friend. What happens when both start to fall for you?





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you are/get confused:  
> (M/n)- Mother's name  
> (F/n) - Father's name  
> (Y/n) - Your name  
> (M/n) - Middle name  
> (L/n) - Last name  
> (G/n) - Grandmother's name  
> (Gf/n) - Grandfather's name  
> (fav) - Favorite  
> (S/c) - Skin color  
> (H/c) - Hair color  
> (H/l) - Hair length  
> (E/c) - Eye color  
> (N/n) - Nickname
> 
> I may have forgot some things but meh.

"Mommy, are you sure I have to stay here?" You ask your mother. The (h/c) woman smiles down at you, her facial expression the complete opposite of yours. "(Y/n), as much as we hate to leave you for so long, what has to be done has to be done." She says. 

You were young, but no idiot. You were actually very intelligent, which was common in your family. You knew lots of things about your parents, things you couldn't really comprehend, but you still knew what went on behind closed doors. 

"We'll be back in no time, trust me." Your dad says. But you knew this man was deceiving, even if he was your father, he was in fact a liar, not only to you, but your mother as well. It wasn't that you didn't trust him, you just didn't believe in everything he said. 

"Liar." You muttered, catching your mothers attention. "What was that sweetie?" Your mother asks you, but you don't respond. You thought, no, you knew she heard you, but she was playing dumb, like she does with a lot of things. 

She stopped in front of the small traditional Japanese home, just by looking at it, you could tell no one really lived there, but you knew of course, it was your grandmother and your grandfather's residence. Your mother let go of your hand, and you let it fall to your side. The ground seemed fascinating to you for an odd reason, but you knew there was nothing special about the cherry blossoms that fell on the ground. You just didn't want to leave your parents.

But of course, they ushered you to the small home, much to your dismay. You knew there was nothing you could do, but you wished that there was. It wasn't that you didn't love you grandmother, that was never the case. You never liked to be away from your parents, you adored them. 

Both were hard workers, so it's not like you've never dealt with it before. You could actually take care of yourself, and they knew that. You could cook, clean, do laundry, just like an adult. You were only six though, so they couldn't leave you in the house alone like that. A few months was different from overtime at work. You knew that, and you knew either way they had to leave. 

Your mother knocked on the door with hesitation, and you knew why. Your grandfather had recently passed away, however you all never went to the funeral, because your parents were too "busy." You realized your parents were alcoholics, and drug addicts, but you let it blow over. Because no matter what, it was a fact your parents were crazy about each other. You thought it would never end, but one part of you thought things were never what it seems. Of course, everything your parents did were meant to be a secret, but you knew it all, even if you didn't understand it.

Shortly, your grandmother appeared at the door, opening it with a small smile. "Oh hello, (M/n). (F/n)." She greeted, kindly. Your mother smiled back. "Hello mother. How have you been?" She asks. You just look up at her, with eyes that were filled with sadness and anger. 

Your parents just smiled down at you, and you return the heart-warming smile, though deep inside, you were desolate. They were working out of country, leaving you all alone.

"Take good care of her, (G/n)." Your father says. 

Your grandmother laughs wholeheartedly. "Did you think I wouldn't?"

"Oh no mother, I never doubted it for a second. We both know you'll take great care of our perfect (Y/n)," Your mother says, kneeling down to your level, hugging you. "I love you the most, (N/n)." She says, kissing your forehead, then sits up, looking at your father expectantly. He ruffles your (h/l), (h/c) hair, smiling down at you. "Love ya to bits, kiddo. Be good okay?" He says.

You could tell, they both tried to be happy, but they both had the same look of sadness in their eyes. You shook your head from the thought, and smiled back at them. "I love you both! Lots and lots," you say. "try not to stay gone for too long." They both nod, looking at you with loving expressions on their faces. 

"Bye," you whispered as they left. Your grandmother wrapped her arms around your petite figure, smiling gently at you. "It's okay, (Y/n)." She reassures. You wanted to cry, but you weren't a crybaby. You hugged her back though, putting in all the emotions you felt. 

"Let's go take this stuff in. Afterwards, we'll go get ice cream."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Skies


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I can't spoil it now can I? ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter has swearing. If swearing offends you in any kind of way, I apologize in advance.

You walked mindlessly to wherever your legs took you, you didn't care. It was early in the morning, and it was one of your common "sleepless" nights. You ruffled your slightly messy (h/c) hair in annoyance and stress, making your way to the park, which was close by. You stopped, a dumb look on your face clearly apparent. In the distance you saw a familiar red haired loser, as you liked to call him.

"Rin, your here," you say, walking over to him. "yay." You continue sarcastically.

Rin glared at you, then shook his head smiling. "Hey (Y/n). I don't recall you being a morning person." He says. You cross your arms, "Well, you would know a lot of things if you called or sent letters every once in a while." You say, sitting next to him on the bench.

"Yeah, I know,"

"I know what you know, dumbass." You said, rolling your eyes. 

To everyone else, you and Rin were always like a married couple, you guys argued, you guys fought, but you guys had a distinct trust that made you happy whenever you were around him. 

"What's been going on?" Rin asks you, which you knew was coming, and you knew if you told him you stopped swimming, he would be angry. That was his specialty, being angry. He was like a fuse, ready to blow up. 

"Well, nothing much," You start, preparing for him to be pissed at you. But he would be even more pissed if you didn't tell him at all. "I quit swimming in 8th grade, and I started doing other sports. It was interesting actually, I didn't think I would like it, but I'm starting to get used to it." Rin nods, as if he was processing everything slowly, letting it soak into his brain. You felt like he wasn't going to ask you about quitting, but then his eyebrows furrowed. 

"Wait, you quit-"

"Everyone missed you," You blurted. 

"You quit-"

"We were happy to see you when we saw you that yesterday," You interrupted again. 

Rin sighed, knowing how stubborn you were, so he gave up for a moment. "Yeah, well, you know the past is the past." He says. "Okay, so? If that was the case, you undies wouldn't be in a knot because of that race you lost so many years ago." Rin just stares at his hands, and you sit back on the bench. "Grudges are pathetic, and because of what happened, Haru doesn't swim competitively anymore."

"Why not?"

"He didn't want to hurt you. Everyone knows your emotionally unstable, Rin." You joked. He glared at you. "Hilarious. But I don't care, I want to win." He said. You rolled your eyes, he was acting immature in your eyes. 

"I see that, but didn't you go to a swimming school in Australia, you know, for a long ass time? Didn't you win races out there? Why is beating Haru so important? Is it going to fuel your massive ego or something?" You ask. Rin shook his head. "It's not that," He answers, simply. 

"I know it seems like I'm on his side, but I'm not. I'm not on yours either. I just think you should stop being so childish." You said softly. Rin still didn't respond.

You always knew Rin and Haru always had that friendly competitive relationship, and you thought it was normal, you didn't care, because it never got out of hand, until that day. The day when Rin came back briefly from Australia, and challenged Haru to a race. You didn't think it was that serious, but the emotional impact it had on Haru and Rin made you think. You were scared, because you didn't want your friendships to end over something as stupid as races and swimming.

You knew that was why you quit, but whenever someone asked you, your answer was either silence or "I don't know," when you damn well knew.

"Look, Rin, I went too far. You don't have to tell me," You say, because it was Rin you were talking to, one of your best friends (love interest *cough, cough*). You knew each other well, so you knew he wouldn't talk about his emotions so freely. "But its not good to bottle it up. So whenever your ready, just tell me everything, okay?" You say, and he nods quietly. 

"Don't tell them we talked, then they'll try to talk to me." He says. "Makes you sound like an asshole, which you are, but don't worry, I won't." You responded, and he stood up. "I'll see you around. Don't do anything stupid. And do something with that hair, I hope your not going to school like that." Rin says as he starts walking. You scoffed. "Whatever, bye Rin." You say.

By that time, the sun was rising, so you decided to make your way home. It wasn't a long walk, your neighborhood was close to the playground. When you walked into your house, it was quiet, like it always was since she died. 

You looked in the cabinets, too lazy to make breakfast, so you grabbed a bag of potato chips. You put on your school uniform, and take Rin's advice and fix your hair into a messy bun, but you still looked presentable. You heard a knock at your door. You figured it was Makoto, so you grabbed your bag and made your way to the door. You opened it, and just like you predicted, it was Makoto. "Good morning, (N/n)-chan." He says, smiling. "Hey, Makoto." You say, and start walking with him, eating your potato chips and having whatever random conversations you guys had when you guys went to get Haru.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!   
> ~Skies


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is similar to Episode 1 and the beginning of episode 2 of Free! due to the fact I want this story to follow along with the anime. Hopefully it's not too boring!

"No."

"Let's visit Samezuka Academy!" Nagisa pleaded.

"I'm not going either," You say. Nagisa looks at you and pouts. "But why?" He whines. "I'm tired of getting in trouble with you guys." You say, crossing your arms.

"Don't you want to see Rin?" Makoto asks.

"We saw him yesterday," Haru replies. You nod, agreeing with his words. Makoto sighs, "Here I was, thinking you'd finally get to swim if we went. Samezuka is supposed to have an indoor pool." Makoto says. You groan in annoyance, "Not again! Whenever Haru gets convinced I'm forced to go!" You whine. Nagisa smiles happily and hugs your arm. "It'll be fun, (N/n)-chan!" He says. 

You grumbled in annoyance, knowing you didn't really have a choice.

*~* 

You all walked into the swimming area quietly, Haru already on his way to the water. "I still think this is a bad idea. Wait!" Makoto calls, trying to stop Haru from jumping into the water. You sit on the floor impatiently. "We're gonna get caught! And when we get caught I'll just say I don't know you guys, and you all were holding me hostage!" You say, crossing your arms.

"Aww, don't be like that (N/n)-chan! Mako-chan, lets swim with him!" 

"Hell no! We'll get in trouble if they find us! And we need to find Rin!" Makoto protests.

"We can take a little dip first. Nobody can find us if we don't turn on the lights." Nagisa says, taking off his clothes. "But you didn't bring a swimsuit.." Makoto states. "A little skinny dip then," Nagisa says. "Nagisa! Put your clothes back on!" You yell, covering your eyes. "Swimming!" Nagisa yells, jumping into the water, drenching your clothes. You groan, "Nagisa! You got my clothes wet!" You yell. 

And before you knew it Makoto was pulled into the water, too. You sighed. "It wouldn't be too late to die now, would it?" You say, shivering due to your wet clothes. "Sorry, (N/n)-chan!" Nagisa says, sticking his tongue out at you. You glared at him, as Makoto and Nagisa started to play. It made you think, were you really missing out? 

"(Y/n), my shirts over there. You can put it on, if your cold." Haru says, snapping you out of your thoughts. You look at him, and smile at him. "Thanks, Haru." You say, walking over and grabbing his shirt, slipping it over yours. When you returned to your spot, he already floated away. 

You jumped as you all heard a door open. "They kidnapped me!" You cry out, your heart racing. But then you realized it was your red haired loser. "Rin?" 

He walks past you and walks over to the pool. "What are you guys doing here?" Rin asks, venom in his voice. "We came here to see you!" Nagisa said happily. "Get out!" Rin yelled. 

"Rin-chan..." Nagisa said, disappointment in his voice. 

"(Y/n), I told you not to tell them we talked." 

"Hey! I didn't tell them anything. But now they know since you opened your big mouth," You say, huffing. Rin then turned to the water and started talking to Haru. You couldn't make out what they were saying, maybe because you weren't paying attention.

"They’re gonna race again." You muttered, looking at the tile beneath you. You didn't want things to escalate into anything serious. You watched as Rin removed his clothes and prepared with Haru to race. 

"Hey Makoto, give us the start signal." 

"Yeah, sure thing."

When Makoto gave them the signal, your heart stopped. You were scared. Scared for them. You didn't want this race to end up like how it did last time. 

And what scared you the most was how you didn't know how Rin or Haru felt. 

*~*

"Idiots! Do you actually feel bad about what you've done?!"

"Sorry." You all said in unison.

"First you trespass in an abandoned building, and now you trespass in another school's pool?! Honestly, we're fortunate that they've agreed not to make a big deal out of this."

"Now, now. I think that's enough."

You all look over to see Ms. Miho Amakata. "There's a famous saying that applies to this situation. "In Ancient China during the Shang Dynasty, Duke Tai of Qi would fish without any bait..." 

"I hate fish."

"Excuse me." Ms. Amakata says, disappointment clear in her voice. 

Shortly, you all were dismissed. 

"Miss Ama-chan wasn't much help." Nagisa says, as you all walked down the hallway. "I told you all we were going to get in trouble but no one listens to me." You say, you were clearly irritated due to your tone of voice. "I wonder how that fish saying goes.." Makoto responded. "Haru, do you know...?"

You all looked back, but Haru wasn't there. "Haru-chan's up there!" Nagisa said, cheerfully. "When did that happen?" Makoto asked, and you shrugged. 

"I'll go catch up with him." You say, running his direction. 

"Haru!" You called, grabbing his arm when you got close enough. Haru stopped and looked back at you. "Oh, (Y/n). What is it?" He asks. "I have your shirt from yesterday. Thanks a lot," You say, digging in your bag and handing him the shirt. "I cleaned it." He took it, and thanks you quietly, placing it in his bag.

"Your walking home by yourself? Can I come with you?" You asked, gingerly. Haru nodded and started walking. You followed beside him. You let the silent air overtake you, making you go deep in thought. 

Haru looked at you, normally you'd be chatting away when you guys walked together. He knew something was on your mind. He wanted to ask you about you and Rin, but he knew it wasn't his place.

You decided to put your thoughts aside and smiled brightly at Haru. "So, what's for dinner today? I don't feel like cooking." You questioned, trying to sound like nothing was bothering you. Haru knew otherwise, but he didn't want to bother you.

"Mackerel." He said simply.

You laughed, because you knew that was what he was going to say, yet you asked anyway. "Alright then," You say. "sounds good." 

And with that, you both walked home, talking away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this isn't too trashy.... :T Hopefully I can make my chapters a bit longer.  
> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Skies


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter has swearing. If swearing offends you in any kind of way, I apologize in advance.
> 
> This chapter is based off of Episode 2 and 3 of Free!

"Let's start a swim club!" Nagisa suggested to Haru, who was sitting in the bathroom.

"What? Nagisa, your crazy." You say. Nagisa looks at you then pouts. "(N/n)-chan, your so grumpy."

"Whatever. Knock yourself out." Haru says. "Really?" Nagisa asks happily. "Yay! We're good to go then! I'm so excited!"

Haru gets out of the tub and you hand him a towel. He takes it quietly and starts walking out of the bathroom. You all follow him out to his living room.

"Are you sure about this?" Makoto asks. "We won't be doing this by ourselves. You're expected to join the club." Haru continued to dry his hair. "I know." He says. You grumble. "I'm sure as hell not okay with it. Because whatever thought comes to mind with you guys, you want me in it. And I'm not fucking joining a swim club." You state. Nagisa frowns and throws his arms around you. "But (N/n)-chan! Nothing's the same without you!" He cries.

You looked over at Gou, who was covering her eyes. "Um, Gou? It's not like he's fully naked. He has clothes on..." You say, trying to reassure her.

She looks over, blushing slightly when she moves her hands from her face.

"Oh, yeah. Haru-chan wasn't with us the other day. This is Rin-chan's sister." Nagisa introduces her. "H-Hello. It's been a long time." Gou says timidly.

"Matsuoka Kou?"

"Yes!" She smiles happily. "I'm sorry about what my brother did yesterday."

Haru slipped on a blue hoodie then responded, "Don't sweat it."

"Rin's a big baby anyway." You say. Gou giggled at your remark and looked over at the trophy that was placed near near the doorway. "Isn't this..?" She starts, thinking for the right words to say. "That's the trophy the five of us won as kids. Rin said he no longer needed it." You explained, as Gou picked up the picture. "Everyone's smiling." She says, examining the picture.

"Actually, Haru's the sole exception in this photo." Makoto says, smiling softly. "Haru-chan is always smiling on the inside." Nagisa says, bringing tea over to the table. "You make him sound like a bad person!" Gou says, laughing. Everyone joins her laughter, but shortly it dies down.

"Hey, Gou," You start, trying to grab her attention. Gou looks over at you. "Yeah, (Y/n)?" She responds, showing you have her attention.

"Is this the first time Rin's come back since he left?"

"He came back every year for New Year's." Gou answers. "Really?! And he never told us?! That's mean." Nagisa cries. You growl. "That bastard. I'll kill him..." You muttered.

You notice Makoto's attention focused on Haru. You raise an eyebrow.

"Hey, Mako-"

"Oh, yeah, speaking of meanies, (N/n)-chan, how come you didn't tell us you talked to Rin-chan after we saw him at the old Swim Club?" Nagisa inquired. "He told me not to. He said he didn't want you guys to try to talk to him, but of course I knew you guys were going to try." You respond nonchalantly. "He's so mean! Why will he talk to you and not us?" Nagisa asks. You shrug. "I dunno." You say.

"Does he know you quit?" Makoto asks. You nod. "He wanted to ask me about it, but nothing's changing my mind. What's done is done." You say. Nagisa pouts.

"Sometimes, your just like him, (N/n)-chan! A big meanie!" He says. You laugh and ruffle his hair.

*~*

"Since everyone's on board, I picked up a new club application form!" Nagisa says. "You move fast," Makoto states, smiling. "I never agreed to this." You mumble.

"It's important to get the ball rolling," Nagisa says, looking at the paper. "let's see, the purpose of this club is to train our minds and bodies through swimming, and improve school experience."

"And you know what your doing," Makoto mutters.

"There will be three members initially. Mako-chan, you can be the captain." Nagisa says. "Uh, shouldn't it be Haru? He's the fastest swimmer." Makoto questions. "This isn't about speed. Different people are better at different things." Nagisa describes. You hover over Nagisa's shoulder, looking at the paper.

"I don't think so..." Makoto murmurs.

"That means Mako-chan is the captain, and Haru-chan can be the vice captain." Nagisa explains. "Hey, don't just volunteer me." Haru complains. "Now, now, now. Vice-captain is just an empty title with no actual responsibilities, so don't worry." Nagisa says. "You just offended every vice-captain on this planet." You remark. Nagisa sticks his tongue out at you.

"I'll be the treasurer," he says, looking at the paper. "that means we just need a faculty advisor."

"Any ideas?" Makoto asks.

"How about Miss Ama?" You suggest. "I was thinking Miss Ama-chan, too," Nagisa agrees, smiling cheerfully. "I heard a crazy story from one of our classmates."

It's been a few days since Nagisa decided to start the swim club. Because you weren't joining, you decided to leave them alone with whatever club business they had. Since you let them be, you weren't really talking with them that much lately.

"Hey, (N/n)-chan!" 

You turned around, your eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. When you noticed it was Nagisa calling you, your expression softened and you turned to give him your full attention. "What?" You ask.

Nagisa stops in front of you, smiling cheerfully. "You have to come with us today! We're going to Samezuka-"

"No way, I'm not getting in trouble again," You say, turning to walk away, but Nagisa grabbed you by your hand.

"No! You didn't let me finish," Nagisa says, pouting. "It's a joined practice. Rin will be there!" You pulled your hand away gently. "Last time I checked you only have three swimmers on your team. Nagi, I'm not swimming with you guys." You imply. 

Nagisa sighs dramatically. "I know, I know! But I just want you to come see us swim! Pretty please?" Nagisa begged. You ruffled his hair. "Okay, fine." You say. Nagisa smiles, hugging you. "Thank you, (N/n)-chan! C'mon, we'll be late!" He says, letting you go and dragging you to wherever he was off to.

*~*

"You guys miss the train or something?" 

"No! I agreed to go with Nagisa and instead of taking the train he decided to run!" You explained, your chest heaving. 

You sit up, taking a deep breath. You notice a guy with navy blue hair approaching. "Who's that?" You ask the others. "That's Rei Ryugazaki." Makoto answers.

"Hey, Rei!" Nagisa greets happily. 

He stops by Haru, and looks at him. "Should I assume your his little buddy Haru?" Rei says. 

"No you shouldn't because I'm not anyone's little buddy." Haru retorts. 

"Did I miss something?" You ask Makoto. "This is Rei, Nagisa's been trying to get him to join the swim club, but it hasn't been working out." Makoto informed. You nod. "Oh, I see."

"Is everything alright?" Nagisa asks, clearly worried.

"If your still interested, I might participate in your joined practice as a trial member." 

"What? Really?" Nagisa exclaims happily. 

"But only on one condition. I won't do any swimming." Rei states, pushing up his glasses. "You idiot, you can't be a trial member and not swim." You say. "Then why are you here?" Rei asks.

"I'm not a trial member, I'm an inspector," You answer matter-of-factly. "Well if it is not possible, then maybe I should be going." Rei suggests.

"No! You don't have to swim. Don't listen to (N/n)-chan, she's a grumpy pants." Nagisa says, sticking his tongue out at you.

"So I assume your (N/n)?" Rei says, looking at you. "Actually my name is (Y/n), but whatever. It's nice to meet you Rei." You say.

"You as well." Rei says.

"We should get going, we still have to change." Makoto says. You all nod, and make your way into the academy. 

You sit on the bench, waiting patiently for the boys to come out the locker room. You notice a guy with bright red hair walking your way. He seemed to be the captain, so you decided to give him your attention. "Who are you?" He asks firmly. "I'm (Y/n), I'm with the Iwatobi Swim Club. I'm just here to watch." You respond. 

"Oh, nice. I'm Seijuro." He squints at you for a second before blushing lightly. "You're.... pretty cute." He says.

"Oh, thanks," You say warily, playing your (h/l) (h/c) hair, which you did often when you were nervous. You decided to keep small talk with Seijuro until practice started.

You sighed of boredom as you watched your friends chat with Seijuro. You look around, trying to find something to perk your interest. You spotted Rin and happily walked up to him. "Hey, Rin." You greeted. "Hey, (Y/n). What're you doing here? I thought you quit swimming." Rin says. You nod. "I did, I'm just here for support." You say.

"Oh," Rin grumbles. "why?"

"I mean, they are my friends. I tend to disappoint them a lot and Nagi really wanted me to come. So, here I am," You explain, then you cross your arms. "you don't seem to enthusiastic." 

"I'm not," Rin responds, crossing his arms. You sigh, sticking your tongue out at him. "Your such a pessimist." You say. 

"Oh, hey Rin!" Gou calls happily. 

"Gou, what are you thinking, bring these guys here?" Rin asks her. 

"Hey, Rin!" Nagisa greets cheerfully. "After all this time we're finally getting our chance to swim together again!" Rin stares at him coldly. "Swim together? Tch. This is a complete waste of time." He says, walking away. "Rin..." Gou calls, disappointment clear in her voice. 

You frown, crossing your arms. "And I'm the grumpy pants." You murmur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Skies


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some nice fun with you and Haru. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought we needed a better Haru moment, for all those people who want a Haru route, so here you go!

_You jump as you hear a knock at your door. You look at the clock beside your bed. "It's 8:30, on a Sunday. Who could be here this early?" You mumble, irritated to be awaken from your beauty sleep. You walk over to the door, sliding it open. "Haruka?" You rub your eyes tiredly. "It's Sunday," you move out the way, allowing him to come in._

__

_He takes off his shoes by your door and sits on your couch. "I know," he says. "but we never do anything on Sundays."_

__

__

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_"Oh," you say, sitting on the couch next to him, "where's Makoto?"_

____

__

____

_"He's doing something with his family today. And I was sitting in my tub, then I thought I should spend time with you," Haru says bluntly. You huff, "You should've called first." You say. "I did, but obviously your phone is no where near you." Haru states. You grumbled. "Whatever." You say._

_____ _

__

_____ _

_Haru rises up from his seat, walking to your kitchen. "I'm guessing you haven't eaten yet, since you look like you just woke up." He says. "I can take care of myself," You say. Haru looks in your freezer and grabs the mackerel that he stashed in there for all those times he came over your house._

______ _ _

__

______ _ _

_You sigh as he starts cooking. "What are the plans for today?" You ask him. "Up to you," Haru says. You ponder to yourself for a second. "How about we just stay here?" You suggest. "Unless you have something better we can do. We're too old to just go play at the playground."_

_______ _ _ _

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_______ _ _ _

_Haru nods silently. "Sure."_

________ _ _ _ _

__

________ _ _ _ _

_You get up and decide to at least try to look presentable, even though Haru has seen you look homeless and look like a goddess. But to him, you were always beautiful. Oh but your just reader-chan. You wouldn't know that._

_________ _ _ _ _ _

__

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_When you came back, the food was done, your hair was brushed, and you looked semi-homeless. But you didn't care, you were just staying home. You sat down, "Thanks, Haru." you say, and you start eating._

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

_When you were done, you washed your dish and sat on your couch and watched Tv with Haru. "Hey, Haru," you start, and he hums in response, looking into your (E/c) eyes. "is something bothering you?" Haru looked away the instant you asked him. You knew something was on his mind._

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_You grabbed his hand. "Tell me." You say._

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_"When you and Rin were together the other day, what did he say?" Haru asked, giving you his full attention._

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

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_You retracted you (s/c) hands and folded them in your lap. "Nothing really. It's hard to get him to open up to me since the race all those years ago." You answer. "I just thought you would know why he's changed." Haru says, looking away. "I'll get to the bottom of it eventually. Nothing gets past me." You say, smiling full of pride. Haru smiled, but it was short-lived. "I'm going to your bathroom." He says. You nod, as he gets up and heads down the hallway.You figured he was just going to sit in his bathtub, like how he did whenever he stayed over your house for a long time._

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

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_You look out your window, the sky dark and gloomy. You sighed sadly._

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

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_As time went by, it started raining, and your lights went out. You grumbled at the darkness, and decide to get up and check up on Haru._

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_You get up from your couch and feel your way through the hallway, since you couldn't see. You opened your bathroom door, "Haru? The lights went out," You said, your voice wavering. You hear water splashing and assume he was lifting his head out the water or something. You walk farther into the bathroom, planning to stop by the tub, but you couldn't feel your way through the bathroom._

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

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_You yelp as you fall into the bathtub, but strong arms catch you before you could hit anything. Your face flushes red, as you feel yourself straddle his hips. You grumble, your clothes completely wet. "Are you okay?" Haru asks you. "you should've been more careful."_

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Haru unwraps his arms from your waist. "Are you uncomfortable?" He asks you again. "N-No." You say, timidly. You normally never tripped off your own words, but in the position you two were in, you couldn't help but feel embarrassed. "S-Sorry." You say, quickly, moving to stand up but Haru wrapped his arms around your waist again, pulling you back down gently. "H-Haru!" You squeal._

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

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_"I was comfortable."_

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

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_"This isn't an appropriate time right now." You say, blushing darker, if that was possible._

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__

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_Haru runs his hand through your hair, caressing your cheek. "H-Haru..." You mumble, leaning into his touch._

______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

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_"Am I bothering you?"_

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_"N-No, b-but..." You stop, and start biting your lip. "Then why do you resist me?" He asks. "I-I don't know," You respond, placing your hands on his shoulders. "what do you mean?" Haru lays his head on your shoulder, not responding. "H-Haru?" You stutter._

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

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_"I like you." Haru says._

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

_________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_"W-What?"_

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_"I like you," He repeats bluntly. "open your eyes."_

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

You wake up, sweat running down your forehead. "Oh, it was just a dream." You mutter, sighing. You look down, to see Haru's sleeping face laying on your lap. You smile to yourself, and sit back and fall asleep once more.

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it was kind of short. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Skies


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter has swearing. If swearing offends you in any kind of way, I apologize in advance.

"Excuse me?" 

"Pleaseeeeeee, (N/n)-chan? I know your not part of the club, but nothing is the same without you!" Nagisa begs, tears in the corners of his eyes. "I even made you a jacket, too! See? See?" You jump a little as Nagisa shoves the swim club jacket in your face. You take it out of his hands gently. "I'll..... consider it." You say.

"Aww, (N/n)-chan, we don't have time to think about it!"

"Nagi, I can't just pack my things and just go," You explain, Nagisa frowning. "where is this training camp anyway?" 

"On a deserted island! We swim long distances in the ocean to build up our stamina!" Nagisa says, proudly. You raise an eyebrow. "And Makoto's okay with that?" You ask, warily. Nagisa looks at you with a confused expression. "Yeah, why wouldn't he be?" He inquires. You shake your head. "He's the captain, so I was trying to make sure you got his permission first." You say. 

"And Miss Ama-chan approves as well! We don't have any money, so we're going to camp out instead. I'm so excited!" Nagisa says happily. "And how will you get there? A paddle boat?" You question, crossing your arms. Nagisa pouts. "No! Coach Sasabe is taking us!" He says. Your expression changes to a confused one, then it went back to your normal aloof expression. "Sasabe, huh? Mmmm, fine. But I'm not doing any swimming!" You declare, and Nagisa hugs you tightly. "This is great, (N/n)-chan! Haru-chan will be so happy!" He says. 

"Yeah, yeah. When are you leaving?" 

"Um.... Tomorrow...." Nagisa says, grinning from ear to ear. You sigh. "Okay, okay. I'll be there." You say.

"Promise?"

"You know I never go back on my word."

*~*

"Is that everyone?" Sasabe asks. "No! (N/n)-chan is coming!" Nagisa says cheerfully. Sasabe raises an eyebrow. "(N/n)-chan?" He questions. "You mean little old (Y/n)?"

"Yep! She said she'll be coming with us!" Nagisa says happily. "You didn't tell us that." Haru states. Nagisa sticks his tongue out playfully. "It was last minute." He says. "We have to be on our way soon so lets hope she gets here soon enough." Miss Ama says, smiling kindly at Nagisa. Nagisa pouts. "She'll come! She promised!" He cries. "(Y/n) always keeps her promises." Makoto explains. 

"What's up with the yelling, I can hear you guys down the road." You complain, slinging your bag over your shoulder.

Nagisa smiles big. "You came!" He says happily. You look away in annoyance. "Yeah. I said I would, didn't I?" You remark, crossing your arms. "Wow, (Y/n)! You look just like how you did all those years back! Still shortest of them all." Sasabe states, laughing. You blush slightly in embarrassment. "My growth spurt just skipped me is all," You say, attempting to justify yourself. "But I am _definitely_ not the same person." 

Sasabe smiles. "Good to see you. C'mon, lets get going." 

*~*

"(N/n)-chan, you won't ditch us to go to the lodge?" Nagisa asks you, as he and the others prepared for training. 

"I can assure you, I'll be right here when you get back," You say. "I can't leave my best friends out to suffer." 

Nagisa smiles happily. "Your just the best (N/n)-chan!" He says, putting on his goggles and running to the water. "Hey, we're supposed to start at the same time, Nagisa!" Rei yells, running after him. You smile slightly, looking over at Makoto. "Hey, Mako," 

He looks over at you. "Yeah?" 

"Be careful. Okay?" 

Makoto smiles at you. "Don't worry about me. C'mon Haru, let's catch up with the others," He says, going off to the ocean, Haru following. 

*~* 

"Rei!"

You stirred awake, looking over at Haru, who also woke up from the sudden yelling. Nagisa was waking up, too. "What the hell's up with all the yelling?" You ask. "What's going on?" Nagisa asks after you. "Did you hear that?" Haru questions you both. You nod. "No, hear what?" Nagisa asks. Haru gets up and walks out the tent. You and Nagisa follow him. When you make it out of the tent, you see Haru looking in Makoto and Rei's tent. "Are they in there?" You inquire, the wind and rain blowing harshly.

Haru looks out into the ocean. He searches for a minute, then his eyes go as wide as saucers. 

You watch as Haru and Nagisa throw off their clothes and run to the water. You groan. "Here I am, deep into some more shit," You murmur, taking off your clothes and following them. 

You swim over to Makoto, wrapping his arm around your shoulder while Haru wraps his other arm around his. You look over at Nagisa, and see that he grabs Rei. 

*~*

"What the hell were you thinking?!" You yell at Makoto, who flinches at volume of your voice. "I-I was just trying to help Rei..." He says, looking down. You run your hands through your wet (h/c) tresses angrily. "You idiot! You should've woke us up or something! What the fuck made you think that you could save him on your own?" You snap, glaring at him. "(Y-Y/n), I-I was just-"

"You already have me worried sick by you all just simply training out on the ocean, but then the night of a storm you want to play hero and almost get yourself killed!" 

Makoto stays quiet. He hadn't seen you this furious since middle school.

"And you," you start, facing Haru, who looks genuinely scared for a moment. "Haruka, why would you fucking run off like that? You know I would have fucking _lost_ it if something happened to you guys out there?!" You snap again, your eyes filling with tears. 

You turn away from them, trying to breath to calm your anger. You wipe your face quickly, because you hated when people saw you cry. 

You turn back around, then sit down next to Haru. Your breathing was heavy, and your heart was pounding. "Just..... be more careful, dammit. And when I see Rei and Nagi, they're gonna fucking get it too," You say, still obviously pissed but it was turned down a tad. "I'm sorry, (Y/n)." Makoto utters, guilt clear in his voice. "Yeah, I know." You say hoarsely.

Haru grabs your hand, making you look at him. "What?" You ask softly.

"Sorry." He says, not looking at you. 

You sigh again, looking out at the rain. "Your still scared of the ocean, aren't you Mako?" You inquire, not looking at him. "I thought that I had finally gotten over it. But then, I took one look at Rei....and seeing him like that.....the memory of that day came flooding back," He explains, hurt apparent in his tone. "I shouldn't have dragged you two into this.....I'm sorry...." 

"You didn't drag us into anything.." Haru states calmly. "I just... I wanted the gang back together. I wanted to swim relay again..." Makoto says.

Before you and Haru could respond to Makoto, you three hear someone shouting in the distance.

"There they are! (N/n)-chan, Haru-chan, Mako-chan, we found you! Are you okay?" Nagisa calls, running towards you guys. You three get up and head over to meet with them. "Yeah we're fine, are you two okay? You shouldn't have swam off on your own like that Rei," You say, calmer then you were before. Rei bows down to you and Makoto. "I'm sorry. I'm the reason why we're in this mess anyway..." He says. "It's fine, I'm the one who almost got you and I killed." Makoto reassures. 

"Now, now, it's nobody's fault.... Let's just be more careful from here on out, okay?" You ask the others. They all nod in understanding.

"Now I'm cold and we're all half-naked, we need to find a place to stay until this storm is over." You say, covering your chest. "Look! A lighthouse!" Nagisa points out in the distance.

*~*

"Rest house? Cool! So, what is a rest house?" Nagisa questions excitedly. "It's a house where you go to rest...." Rei explains plainly. "Let's go inside." Haru says.

You all walk in the rest house quietly. You move closer to Haru, and Makoto hides behind you. Nagisa yells loudly, making you scream, clutching onto Haru's arm, Rei and Makoto yelling as well. You shut your eyes fearfully. "It's a flashlight." Nagisa says, and you relax your tensed up body, letting Haru go. "Don't just yell out like that unless something's really wrong!" You scold him, and Nagisa just laughs, grabbing the flashlight, and handing it to Haru. 

Haru turns it on, looking around. "Nothing much over here," He says, durning the other direction. You and the other's follow. 

Soon, after exploring, you all find somewhere to sit and rest. "I found some aprons!" Nagisa cheers, holding them out to you, Makoto, and Rei. "Why on earth would I put that on?" Rei asks irritably. "Well it's either this or you freeze, I couldn't find anything else." Nagisa explains. "Nagisa it's fine, we're dry now we don't need those." Makoto says. "Speak for yourself, your not the one in just a bra and some panties," You say, taking the apron from Nagisa. You unwrap it from its plastic packaging and tie it around your neck and above your waist. 

"Is this really all we could find to eat?" Rei complains. "Pineapple mackerel...." Nagisa says, sounding uninterested. "We lucked out, it looks great." Haru says, making you roll your eyes. 

You all finish eating, and start drinking your hot waters. "Pineapple mackerel and hot water.." Nagisa complains. "You were the one who was starving, just be grateful we found something." Haru says, and you nod. "Yeah, your right. Hey, I could always rely on the 'ol imagination." Nagisa says, brightening the mood. "Actually, the more you talk the sadder I get," Rei remarks. "This is the problem with people with no imagination." Nagisa retorts. 

"It's warm, so that's definitely a positive." You say, sipping your hot water. "Yeah," Haru concurs. "now if the rain would stop." 

"Something tells me we'll be stuck here 'til morning," Rei inputs. "Well guys, what do we do now?" Nagisa asks. "We sleep." Haru suggests. "Whaat? But we're stranded on a deserted island! We should be out harpooning for fish, looking for some bugs and harvesting mushrooms." Nagisa whines. "Nagisa, this isn't reality television." Rei states. 

"Sleep probably would be best," Makoto says. "this place doesn't really look all that comfortable though..." 

Everyone sighs in exasperation. "Wait a sec! I've got it! Let's play a game." Nagisa suggests, finding random things and making a box with everyone's name on it. You all sit on the floor. 

"Who's it gonna be? Who's it gonna be? Looks like Rei!" Nagisa chants, looking back at him. "Does my name really have to be on two sides of that ridiculous thing?" Rei protests. "Well yeah! Of course, silly, you're Rei!" Nagisa says. "Okee doke, it's your turn, Rei. Tell us an embarrassing story! Make it a good one." Nagisa demands. Rei sighs. "Very well. When I was in 5th grade--I can't believe I'm telling you this--I was on a field trip. I had left my underwear in the locker room, and the teacher found it and announced it to everyone..." 

"Everyone saw your underwear?" 

"They did.." Rei says, remorse in his voice. You laugh loudly. "That's hilarious!" You say between fits of giggles. "(N/n)-chan, that's mean!" Nagisa chides. "Its okay, Rei, it happens." Nagisa then gets up, and rolls the cube again. 

"Looks like next up is (N/n)-chan," Nagisa says, walking back over to the group. "tell us the details about a romantic encounter." 

"Romantic encounter?" Everyone said in unison, even Haru. Your face turned pink. "What makes you think I have romantic encounters with anybody?" You inquire. "Well, you do hang out with a lot of guys. You must've had a romantic encounter with somebody..." Nagisa explains. You sigh, tugging on your bra strap. Everyone focuses on you, listening intently. 

"It was a few years back, I think in Elementary School or something. Some dork said he wanted to spend time with me. I-I don't wanna give it away, but he gave me a flower and told me to wait for him 'til he comes back.." You say, your face red. Nagisa gasps loudly. "(N/n)-chan, you had a boyfriend?!" He exclaims. "N-Not exactly! He was just a close friend of mine, that's all..." You protest. "Was it Haru?" Nagisa interrogates. 

"Wasn't me." Haru says in a distasteful tone. 

"Hmm, I didn't know you had secrets, (N/n)-chan," Nagisa says. You cross your arms. "I'm not going to share my whole life with you guys, that's weird." You say. Nagisa gets up and rolls the cube again. "Looks like next up is me! I have to do an impression and you guess what it is!" He says, and starts waddling. "What're you doing?" Haru asks. "You don't know?" Nagisa says sadly. "Rockhopper Penguin! You didn't even try." 

"I don't get it." Haru says bluntly. 

"Looked like a normal penguin to me." 

Nagisa looks clearly offended as he tries to imitate the penguin again. Makoto chuckles slightly. "Hey, pay attention!" Nagisa whines, then he smiles softly. "Wow you smiled." Makoto gives him a surprised expression. "It's good to see you loosen up. You've been a bit down all night." Nagisa explains. Makoto smiles gently. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry." Makoto says. 

"Uh... mind if I ask you a personal question? When you tried to save me earlier.... you seemed out of character..." Rei clarifies. 

"That's something that's not up for discussion," You say. 

"But I-" 

"Drop the subject!" 

You flinch slightly. You haven't seen Haru raise his voice like that in a while. "Haru, (Y/n), it's alright. But thanks anyway," Makoto says, smiling. "Truth is, one way or another it's something they should know about me." You lay on Haru's shoulder. "It's up to you, Mako." You prompt. Makoto smiled at you then looked down again. "When I swam out, I was absolutely terrified." Makoto responds. 

"Terrified?" 

"You mean of Rei drowning?" 

"That too. But mainly of the ocean. There used to be a little fishing harbor. When I was a kid, I would go there all the time. I met this old fisherman, sweetest guy in the world, he's play with me whenever he could and tell me stories. In summer, they always had a big festival right on the docks. There was a pool where they let you scoop out goldfish to take home, except I never had any money so all I could do was watch... One time, though, the old fisherman gave me two goldfish. I was so happy.. Later, that same year, that same summer actually, there was a typhoon and the old man's boat sunk. He died. And some people he was taking out to fish. The boat was only about 3 kilometers from the shore when it went down...3 kilometers, we swim that distance everyday. I don't remember being sad, but I was scared. I tried to take care of the goldfish, but eventually they died too. Ever since then, the ocean has terrified me.....it's like, this big terrible creature in the water that can take you at any time.." 

"That's enough. Okay?" Haru says. 

Nagisa looks outside. "Hey, the rain stopped." He says, running out the lighthouse. 

*~* 

"Nuh-uh." 

"Whaat? Why not (N/n)-chan? Makoto is fine with it." 

"I said no swimming!" 

Nagisa pouts. "You swam earlier! I honestly just don't see why you don't swimming anymore.." He whines. "I swam because it was a life or death situation.." You clarify. 

"C'mon (Y/n). It's a short distance." Makoto says. You sigh. "Are you sure?" You ask. Makoto nods. Nagisa cheers happily and starts running off to the ocean. Rei started following him. 

"C'mon, (N/n)-chan! Don't be a slow poke!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter was based off of episodes 5 and 6 :) 
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Skies


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on episode 7 and 8 of Free!  
> Warning: This chapter has swearing. If swearing offends you in any kind of way, I apologize in advance.
> 
> Enjoy!

You walk in the darkness of the night, the moonlight and the stars your only source of light. You couldn't sleep, because you were so worried about the upcoming day.

The Prefectural Tournament was tomorrow.

You bit you lip. You had to support both of your best friends, but _how_? You cared about them both dearly, and you knew that if you even seemed like you were on one or the others side, the other would be hurt. You bite your lip anxiously. _What do I do?_ You repeat in your mind, over and over again, hoping you'd find an answer, but it doesn't come to you. Your so lost in thought, that you don't even focus on your surroundings, running into a hard chest. 

You blink a few times, a bit dazed before mumbling a quick, "Sorry," and attempt to go around but then the person grabs your arm. You look up, to see that it's Rin. "Oh, Rin, hey.." You say, trying to avoid eye contact. Rin looks at you worriedly, immediately knowing something was wrong. "Hey, (Y/n), what's wrong?" He asks, you tense up, debating if you should really tell him what was going on in your mind or keep it to yourself. You hated talking about feelings, but always knew what to say when someone else couldn't talk about theirs. You don't respond for a moment, looking at the concrete underneath you.

"(Y/n)." Rin says, his voice a bit more demanding, which makes you look at him. He lets you go, shoving his hand into his pockets. You knew what he was thinking. He wanted you to tell him all of your problems. But you couldn't. It was so personal, to someone else it might've seemed like a small worry, but these boys were so important to you that it drove you insane. "Nothing." You finally answer his question, and he raises an eyebrow. "What? If nothing was wrong you wouldn't take so long just to simply answer my question." He says, irritation clear in his voice.

"It's nothing, okay? I'm just thinking about tomorrow."

"Your going to the Prefectural Tournament?" Rin asks, slightly surprised. "Yeah, I can't just not go. I have to support the others." You say. Rin grumbles, like he disapproves of you going. "Oh." He murmurs. You breathe in slowly. "You owe me something." You say. Rin raises an eyebrow. "What? You mean about the other day?" He asks. You shake your head. "Think way back, farther than that." You say. Rin thinks to himself for a second, then his cheeks dust a light pink. 

"You forgot." You say, disappointment laced in your voice. "N-No, I didn't. I thought you forgot," Rin states, scratching the back of head. "Are you sure this is the right time? I mean, your clearly upset so-"

"Just fucking tell me, damn it." 

Rin's eyes widened from your snappy tone, but then he clears his throat. "I-I wanted you to wait on me, because I like you." He murmurs, but loud enough for you to hear. Your breath hitches, he was right, _this wasn't the right time_. "Rin," You start in a whisper. "S-Seriously?" Your face started to turn pink. Rin doesn't look at you. "I mean, you probably like Haruka, right? You guys are always together." He says. You could hear the jealousy in his voice. "N-No...it's not like that, at all.." You protest. "Then what's it like then, (Y/n)?" Rin questions.

"You were my first crush, but once you left, I did get closer to Haru. Before you stopped sending Sousuke letters, he would show me all of them so I knew you liked me back then, but I was angry because you left me. As a third year in middle school, I did like Haru, too.... but I quit swimming after you left again for Australia. Because of that, Haru and I grew apart for a while, and I lost my feelings for him, too. Or at least I think I did. I don't know, I care about you both a lot." You admit.

Rin stares at you for a second, while you focused on your hands. "So you like both of us?" He asks. "I-I, um.... y-yeah...." You stutter, which you didn't do often. That's how Rin knew you were serious. "I'm sorry, Rin. I feel so bad," You mutter. Rin smirked. "Damn, me and him will always be rivals. Don't be sorry, (Y/n). You will be mine. That's a promise." He says, ruffling your hair.

You blush darker, slapping his hand away. "Don't say things like that so loosely!" You shriek.

*~*

You walk over to Makoto and the others. "Hey, I'm here," You say simply. Nagisa looks at you happily, then slides over to give you some space. "Just in time, (N/n)-chan! Haru and Rin and lining up to swim next!" He says. Your breathing shallows, as your body fills with nervousness. You make your way between Nagisa and Makoto, watching as they line up on the jumping boards. 

Your heart stops when they jump into the water. You close your eyes, trying to calm down your breathing. You already knew that something bad was about to happen. It was quiet for a moment. You didn't hear the water, or anything. "Haru.... lost. What the hell?" You open your eyes, looking eye to eye with the score board. Rin Matsuoka was first, and Haruka Nanase was second. You curse under your breath. It's not like you wanted Rin to lose, but you didn't want him to win either.

"No way..." You hear Nagisa murmur. You watch Rin say something to Haru, then walk off. Your breath hitches, and you turn to go meet up with Rin. "Hey, (Y/n)? Where are you going?" Makoto questions. But you ignore him, continuing on your search to find Rin. You go off into the hallways, where you knew the changing rooms were. In the distance, you could see your red haired loser with a towel on his head, drinking from his water bottle. You walk up to him, and he looks over at you and smiles. "(Y/n). Did you see me?" He asks, genuinely looking happy. "Y-Yeah, I saw you." You say, your voice cracking. 

Rin's eyebrows then furrow. "You okay?" He asks. You nod, clearing your throat. "I'm fine, but are _you_ okay?" You question. Rin smiles big, showing off his shark-like teeth. "Hell yeah! I beat him. Now I can move on." He says. "From what?" You inquire harshly. Rin looks over at you, surprised at your response. "What's up with you?" 

"You'd throw away an amazing friendship, as long as you could move foward, with or without them." 

Rin stays silent, knowing you were right. "You could do that to me, for all I know." You murmur, but he still heard you. You walk past him, then he grabs your arm. "Let go of me." You whisper. "What do you see in him, that you don't see in me?" Rin asks you. "I said let me go, damn it!" You yell, and he releases you. You storm off, not having to look back to know that Rin was watching you go.

*~*

You sit in your bathtub, hugging your knees close to your chest.

 _Haru lost. And I left him and the others alone. I hope everyone else did okay_ , you think to yourself. You look up out the window above your bathtub. It was dark, and the moon was out. You felt bad about getting pissed off at Rin, but nowadays he seemed selfish to you. And yesterday, you find out he likes you? It seemed like everything was going wrong in your perfect little life. 

You let out the water, stepping out of the tub and grabbing the towel, walking out and into your bedroom. You put on some (fav) color undergarments and just threw on some over-sized shirt that you probably snatched from Haru. You trudged to your bed, flopping onto the silk (fav) color sheets. You pick up your phone, sliding to unlock it _(lets pretend that since your parents are wealthy and whatnot, that you get the latest phones from AMERICA!! However, everyone gets those weird phones that they just slide open xD)_. You check your messages, to see that everyone had texted you, except for Haru and Rin, because they never texted you. 

You open Nagisa's message, scanning his short paragraph. 

**Nagisa: (N/n)-chan, you missed the rest of the tournament! It's okay, because Gou entered us into the Medley Relay! Haru ran off somewhere, and me and the others are waiting for him to come home. You seemed unhappy, so we decided to leave you alone. Please text me back ASAP! <3 **

You sigh, throwing your phone somewhere on the bed in annoyance. You wondered if Haru was going to do the Medley Relay. He hasn't done one since middle school, when you guys were first years. You groan, exasperated. Sooner or later though, you drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Skies


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oop, it get's heated with Haru? ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter has swearing. If swearing offends you in any kind of way, I apologize in advance.
> 
> This chapter is based on episode 9 and a little bit of episode 10. Enjoy!

You groan groggily as you feel your bed shift. "(Y/n)." 

You stretch tiredly, shifting on your bed, feeling yourself lay on a lap. "Haru, how'd you get in?" you question, still dazed from sleep. "Door was unlocked," He responds simply. You didn't have to look up to know he was staring at you. You blink away the sleepiness, but every time you think it goes away, it seems to catch back up with you. "What time is it?" You question him again. "It's 12:13." Haru answers. "I called you, but you didn't answer. You didn't show up to the Medley Relay either.."

"Were you worried, Haru?" You ask bluntly. Haru doesn't answer, but you knew the answer anyway. "I'm sorry I didn't go. Did you guys win?" 

"We did." Haru replies. You turn your head, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes, your long eyelashes clouding your vision, but you could see. Your room was fairly dark, so you couldn't really see anything, but you knew he was staring right back at you. Just knowing, he could be staring at you with those deep blue eyes made your heart race. "Haruka...." You start, your drowsiness beginning to do the talking.

He didn't answer you, but you knew he was listening.

"You know.... I like you." You state, frankly. You feel him tense up for a second, then you feel him relax a bit. He didn't know if it was you or the sleep talking, but he responded anyway, replying, "I like you, too." You sit up slowly, wrapping your arms around his neck, moving closer to his face. You hesitate, you were so close. So close, that you could feel his warm breath on your lips, and he wasn't stopping you. You close your eyes, moving closer, until your lips were brushing. You finally press your lips onto his, pouring almost all of your recent emotions into the kiss. Haru wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you onto his lap, deepening the kiss. You could feel his heart pounding on your chest, and you tangle your hands into his hair. 

Soon you break away, the both of you breathing heavy. You lay your head on his shoulder tiredly, mumbling, "Goodnight." 

In a part of your mind, you couldn't believe it. You just had your first kiss with one of your childhood best friends. 

But, Haru couldn't make you completely forget about Rin.

*~*

You walk over to your door, sliding it open, a sour look on your face. "Kou?" You say, surprised that she was standing there. You look at her eye to eye, since you were only about 3 inches shorter than her. "Hi (Y/n)! I was just about to make my way to the Hachiman Shrine Annual Festival, but Nagisa called and told me to come get you!" She says happily. She was wearing a red kimono with lilies on it, and her hair was held up with two flower pins. You smile sheepishly. "I don't really have any kimono's that fit me.." You tell her, making her smile. 

"I was hoping you'd say that!" Gou chants, pulling out a bag from behind her. "Um, what?" 

"I'm gonna girlify you!" She says, and you step aside, allowing her in. "Girlify me? What's that supposed to mean?" You question her, watching her kick off her shoes at your door. Gou smiles at you. "Your always with the guys, so you act similarly to them. But, that will change tonight!" She explains, determination apparent in her voice. She grabs you by your hand, dragging you around your house, searching for a your room. "Hey, Kou!" You exclaim, slightly taken back by her strength. 

When she finds your room, she hands you the bag. "Go change, then I'll do your hair." She demands. "Hey, wait-"

"Go, go, go!" She insists, pushing you towards your bathroom. 

"Okay, okay, I'm going," You grumble, sliding open your bathroom door. You come out shortly, a blushing in embarrassment. Gou squeals in delight. "You look gorgeous, (Y/n)! I'm jealous." She says, smiling big. You cross your arms and looking away from her. "Let's just get this over with." You complain. Gou giggles at your demeanor, and pats the chair next to her, ushering you to sit. You comply (for once) and sit on your desk chair. 

_(ahem: https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB10amAcMsSMeJjSspcq6xjFXXaB/2018-new-traditional-japanese-kimonos-japanese-silk-robes-yukata-kimono-geisha-dresses-temptation-female-japanese-kimono.jpg_640x640.jpg)_

She brushes your hair, doing things that you didn't even know was possible to do with your hair. "All done!" She announces, handing you a random mirror that was on the side of your bed. "Whoa, who the hell is that?" You ask, leaning back in surprise. Gou laughs. "You, of course." She says. 

_(*cough cough*: https://i.weddingomania.com/2016/11/28-glam-ponytail-with-curls.jpg and if you have curly/wavy hair just pretend she straightened it or something)_

"I look weird." You grumble, making Gou gasp dramatically. "(Y/n), you look like a goddess! Thanks to me, of course." She says, clearly proud of her work. You analyze yourself a while longer, before Gou speaks up. "We should get going. I know you probably want to be with Haru and the others." Gou states, making your face flush red just by hearing his voice. Gou notices, and starts giggling. "What are you blushing about?" She asks, and you start to debate if you wanted to tell her what happened that night.

In your mind, your just like fuck it, she didn't seem like the type to go around telling people secrets. You take a deep breath, and mumble, "I kissed Haru." You were quiet, but Gou heard you anyway, and gasped loudly.

"Whaat? You kissed Haru?" 

"I was tired and I didn't know what I was doing!" You try to explain. Gou giggles. "You like him, don't you? I thought you liked my brother for a while." She inquires. "Well, see, I like them both. And they like me..." You answer. She gasps. "A love triangle!" She says. You frown. "Don't make it weird." You say. Gou smiles at you, as you both walk out to leave your house. 

"Well, Haru seems like he would be a sweet boyfriend. He'd probably be more committed to the water than you though," Gou jokes, making you roll your eyes. "Very funny... I don't think I need a boyfriend, but it would be nice to date one of them," You explain. "but me and Rin aren't really on good terms right now." Gou groans. "It's like he's the king of ruining relationships." She complains. "I really worry about him sometimes, but he just pushes me away." You nod in understanding. "He's not too open with me sometimes either." You say, slipping on your shoes along with Gou, walking out your house.

"You know (Y/n), I think we'd get along great. We should keep in touch," Gou suggests. You smile, nodding. "Yeah, sure." You concur. You guys decide to exchange numbers and make your way to the festival.

*~*

Gou giggles happily. "I'm glad you guys are all here!" She says excitedly. Nagisa smiles cheerfully. "Hi Gou!" Gou smiles, greeting the energetic boy back. "And look, I brought (Y/n)!" She says, her and her friend move out the way, to reveal you who was attempting to hide, but it wasn't quite working out. Your face was red, because you've never dressed up so girly in your entire life. Not only that, but it seemed so awkward to be hanging out with Haru and the others after what happened. Nagisa gasps. "Wow, (N/n)-chan, you look so girly! But you look really pretty!" He exclaims. "You all look very cute," Makoto compliments calmly. 

"Thank you," You grumble in embarrassment, catching glimpses at Haru but immediately looking away after. His cheeks were slightly pink but he tried his best to shake it off.

"Is it us or the outfit?" Gou's friend (i rlly don't know her name lol) remarks. "A little bit of both, I think." Makoto responds, and you huff.

"Perhaps we should all grab a bite to eat?" Rei suggests. "Sounds good," Makoto agrees, smiling. "If you want to meet up later, we'll be watching the squid ink calligraphy contest. Take care of (Y/n) for us!" Gou says, winking at you before running off. "No problem! See you later!" Nagisa says, waving at them. Makoto then faces you all. "So, what are you guys in the mood for?" He asks. "That's easy! Squid balls!" Nagisa suggests. Rei brings his hands to his chin. "I prefer squid paella." Rei replies.

"Maybe we could have both." Makoto says. "Oh! That paella sounds really good!" Nagisa exclaims. "Yeah, lets see what options we have," Makoto says, like always, trying to make everyone happy. 

"Fresh squid burgers with cheese!" 

"I'm intrigued by the squid and chips, they sound fascinating." 

"Squid burgers do sound good," You agree with Nagisa, and he smiles at you, then waves at Makoto and Haru. "Try not to get separated from us, you two!" He chides. "Don't worry, we're here." Makoto says. You notice Rei elbow Nagisa. "Why're you nudging me?" Nagisa asks, looking in front of Rei. His face looks worried for a second as he grabs your arm. "(N/n), look. It's Rin," He points out. You frown about hearing his name, then you look at Rei and Nagisa. "So?" 

"Talk about bad timing, huh?." Rei says, and him and Nagisa bend down, whispering to each other. You roll your eyes and do the same. "Tell me about it," Nagisa whispers back. "Is something wrong?" Makoto asks and you all jump up. "N-No! We were just talking about how much we love squid!" Nagisa lies, then tries to change the subject. He starts acting weird, trying his best to get Makoto and Haru to scram. You sigh, averting your eyes to some stands. You don't even notice Makoto and Haru walk away, but Nagisa grabs your hand and snaps you out of your trance.

"What now?" You ask. "I'm a little bit concerned that Haru and Rin might run into each other over there." Nagisa answers. "Me too." Rei inputs. They both look a tad gloomy. "The reason why I invited Haru here in the first place was to take his mind off swimming for a while.." Nagisa explains, and you frown. "Seems like now your plan may have the opposite effect." Rei states. "You're right, and if he gets too stressed he may ditch the relay at regionals," Nagisa says. "This is bad."

"I don't see where I play a part in this." You butt in, and Nagisa and Rei look at you. "We have to do whatever it takes to make sure those two don't cross paths tonight. You and Rei nod in agreement. "Rei, (Y/n), make sure you follow Rin." Nagisa orders. "What?" Rei questions and you grumble. "I'm not gonna stalk the fucker." 

"No! I mean like spy on him. Once you have a location you find me and tell me where he is. We'll lead Haru somewhere else and have (Y/n) keep him distracted." Nagisa explains, and you scowl. "I thought the point of me coming was to spend time with you guys?" You inquire. "Yes, but desperate times call for desperate measures!" Nagisa exclaims. "Nevermind, focus, we have work to do!" 

And with that you guys split up. 

*~*

_"Hey everyone, I'm Rin Matsuoka. Before I came here I went to Sano Elementary School. My name may be girly, but you can clearly see that I am a boy. Nice to meet everybody."_

_The classroom became still, like the boy didn't wasn't speaking Japanese. Shortly, the silence turned into a commotion. It was a natural reaction, considering that a 6th grader transferred in January, that is to say out of season, and on top of that one with a girlish name. Rin was looking around the classroom when a boy stood up._

_"Matsuoka-kun."_

_Tachibana Makoto. With a friendly smile, he happily looked at Rin. He already knew that he’d be at this school._

_"Tachibana….-kun. So we’re in the same class."_

_"Yeah, that’s right. Haru-cha……I mean, Haru’s with us, too." Makoto looked to the side, turning his neck. He glanced at Haruka, who was expressionlessly staring at Rin. "I see, Nanase….-kun is here, too." Nanase Haruka. You knew he was here, but you didn’t think that he'd be in the same class as you. "It's good to see you, Rin." You say shyly. Rin smiles at you. "Hey, (L/n)-chan." He says, and you blush timidly._

_"You can call me (Y/n)."_

_During recess, everyone crowded around Rin._

_Preparing himself like that, when he was taking a deep breath, someone put a hand on Rin’s shoulder. Even though there wasn’t that much force in it, sensing a strong energy coming from, he grimaced a little. He knew without having to turn around. It’s was Haru. It was impossible to think that anyone apart from Haruka could do that in the class._

_"Come with me for a bit."_

_Only saying that, he walked ahead by himself. He was staring at Haruka’s retreating figure for a while, unexpectedly he was lightly pushed forward from behind. "What are you doing? You’ll be left behind." Makoto’s smile slipped through beside Rin. "Yeah, yeah, I’m going."_

_Haruka’s feet stopped between the school building and the pool. In the cold winter weather, the large cherry blossom tree spread its branches without flowers or leaves. It seemed as if it were searching for something, vigorously stretching towards the tall sky. They say that the cherry blossom was there long before the school was built. Rin raised his out of tune voice. "Woah, this tree’s amazing. Is it a cherry blossom?"_

_"It’s a cherry blossom." Makoto answers. Rin placed his hand on the treetrunk, tracing a complicated branch as he looked up at the sky. "When spring comes and the cherry blossoms fall, they’ll fall into that pool over there, won’t they."_

_Haruka and Makoto looked at the pool. Since it hasn’t been maintained, the fallen dead leaves were spread out all over it._

_"I wanna try swimming in it, a pool of cherry blossoms."_

_Rin said it strangely filled with emotion, Makoto intently stared at his face._

_"That’s impossible, the water will still be cold then. I think it’s better to wait for summer to swim after all."_

_Rin was shocked._

_"Do you plan on staying here next year?"_

_That voice overlapped with the sound of the branches blown by the north wind, drowning out the end of it._

_Rin took his hand off the tree and put it in his pocket._

_"What is it, calling me out to a place like this. Do you leave the transfer student tied up on the first day?"_

_After he said that, Rin burst out in laughter. Lured by out, Makoto laughed, too. When he saw Haruka looking at him with cold eyes, Makoto lightly cleared his throat and turned  
towards Rin. "No, Matsuoka-kun. Jokes aside, there’s something we want to ask." Before Makoto could finish, Rin interrupted him._

_"A coincidence, it’s really a coincidence. We happened to move here and I ended up at this school. I was surprised, too. I never would’ve thought that I’d be in the same class as  
Tachibana and Nanase. Really, coincidences are scary, aren’t they."_

_You've met Rin several times at the town competitions. That was all the connection you both had. It’s not like you were particularly close, you haven’t even really had a proper conversation._

_You stare at him, then speak up bashfully. "Your Sousuke's best friend, right? He's told me about you, but I never got a change to talk with you." You say quietly. Rin smiles at you. "Oh yeah, your his cute cousin, right?" He asks, making you blush. "Don't say things like that." You say, looking away. He laughs at your shyness, and making you pout._

_*~*_

__

_"I quit."_

__

_"Huh?"_

__

_"I said I quit. I'm done swimming."_

__

**~Reality~**

You open your eyes, sighing. "That was forever ago." You mumble in annoyance. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Skies


	9. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter has swearing. If swearing offends you in any kind of way, I apologize in advance.
> 
> Based on episode 11 and 12 of Free! 
> 
> Chappie may be short, who knows? -3-  
> Enjoy!

"Alright! I've taught you everything I know, and some stuff I made up. Get out there and swim like there's no tomorrow!" 

"Yeah!" Nagisa exclaims cheerfully. "I don't know what's more embarrassing, the banner or Coach's gusto." Rei complains, and you smile at him. "He's always been like that." You reply. 

"Have fun! We'll be heading out to meet you first thing in the morning." Ama explains. "Be sure to get some rest at the hotel, we don't need you exhausted before the tournament." Gou demands. "Alright! We will!" Nagisa chants happily. "I really wish you could come, (N/n)-chan."

"Well, I'm not a swimmer anymore, but I'll be there to cheer on you all tomorrow." You say. "Promise?" Nagisa asks. You giggle. "I cross my heart, and hope to die." You respond. Nagisa seems satisfied with your answer and smiles big. Soon the bus pulls up.

"Oh, the bus." 

"Guess we're off."

"Bye guys! See you tomorrow!"

*~*

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late," You say, waving at the group. Nagiasa jumps up, tackling you into a hug. "Yay, (N/n)-chan you made it! Your late though, like always." He remarks. "Shut up, I'm a busy girl." You retort. "C'mon, I saved a seat for you," Nagisa says, pushing you into the seat next to Haru. Nagisa plops himself next to you excitedly, waiting for the next race to start.

"Next, we have the Men's 100 Meter freestyle, third heat." You hear on the intercom. 

"This'll be Rin's big moment, huh." Nagisa says. "Should be," Haru responds. You watch closely, as they stand on the jumping boards. "C'mon, big brother!" Gou shouts. You tense as you hear the beep. Everyone jumped, but Rin was last. "He dove late." You mumble. "Not good." Makoto says. "It's okay, we still got the turn." Haru reassures. Rin was so far behind, like he just lost whatever he had in him at the last tournament. You frown. _Get it together_ , you think to yourself.

"Hell is wrong with him?" You hear Sasabe ask, and Gou looks worried for a moment. You watch as he tries to get out the pool, but he fails multiple times. You knew something was wrong. You get up and start running to the hallways of the changing rooms. "Hey, (Y/n), wait!" Makoto calls, everyone running after you. When you catch up finally, you see how livid Rin is.

"I give up. I quit years ago and it should've stayed that way." You hear him say, as he walks off. 

Nitori calls after him, afraid to go after him. You walk up to Nitori, placing your hand on his shoulder gently. "(L/n)-senpai?" 

"Let me handle this," You say, going after him.

*~*

You catch your breath, walking over to Rin. "I figured you'd be here." You say, looking up at the tree. 

"What do you want, (Y/n)?" Rin asks, hurt laced in his voice. "Rin, I'm really sorry about how I acted towards you at the Prefecturals. I was just have a lot on my plate, right now." You utter. "It's fine, (Y/n)," Rin says, his voice still holding the same pain you hear from his last response towards you. You look at him. "Rin, what happened? You were a whole 'nother person in those waters..." You speak. He doesn't look at you, and it takes him a moment to respond. "I don't know." He replies.

You take his hand out his pocket, lacing them with yours. His hands were big and rough, just like how you remembered them. He continues to look ahead, and it bothers you that he won't look your way. "Rin, look at me dammit." You demand. Rin looks at you slowly, and you could see the pain in his eyes. "I'm so sorry about what happened out there," you say, genuinely feeling terrible for him. Rin smiles at you softly. "It's not your fault, (Y/n). I'm glad your here now." He says, pulling you into his arms. Your surprised at first, but then you wrap your arms back around him, figuring he needed it, and hell, you needed it, too. 

"Why won't you open up to me?" You murmur, but loud enough for him to hear you. Rin doesn't respond, and you clutch onto his jacket, burying your face into his chest. He smelled strongly of chlorine and cologne. 

"It's hard for me, (Y/n)."

"I know," You respond, and he buries his face into your neck _(even though your like, hella shorter than him)_. You feel his warm breath hitting your (s/c) skin, and you could feel how fast his heart was beating. You stand there in comfortable silence for a while. Soon he lets you go, and you both turn and watch the wind blow the trees. 

You start to hear heavy breathing, and turn to see Haru. "Haruka..." You murmur. Rin looks over as well, his face instantly turning angry. 

_(INTERMISSION: This ad was brought to you by Colgate.  
OKay I'm kidding. But guys this part in episode 12 is so fucking gay that I just had to take a long time writing this chappie to make it less gay as possible, since Rin and Haru are your romantic interests. And it makes me kinda sad that they didn't kiss, but oh well. There's yaoi out there. ;) ) _

"Haru..... What're you doing here? If you've come to laugh at me, have at it." 

"Rin..." 

"Did you know they took me off the relay? That's right, I'm a loser _(But we already knew that Rin)_. So don't hold back, go ahead, laugh all you want. Laugh at me dammit it's all I'm good for! I'm not even good enough to swim with you guys in a relay!" 

"Stop it, calm down." Haru says. You try to grab Rin, but he shakes you off. "Shut up!" He yells. "What would you know?" 

"I get it. I know how incredible it is to swim with others, how good it feels to swim in a relay together. And you were the one who taught me that. Weren't you? Because of you, you were the reason why I-" 

_(fuck me silly, this is so funny to write. what if Haru told Rin he loved him? that'd be sooo fucking funny xD)_

"Just shut your mouth!" Rin yells, grabbing him by the collar of his swim jacket. "Your the reason I swim! I understand! It isn't about me.." 

"I told you to shut up!" Rin shouts, throwing a punch at Haru, but Haru catches it, causing him to fall. You stood still, watching them roll on the ground. You felt the tears well up in your eyes, you hated seeing them fight. But you knew, that this was the best way, Rin needed to fix things with Haru. "Look at this tree. It's just like the one back in middle school. That's why you came here, isn't it?" Haru says to him. Your eyes widen when you see Rin start to cry.

"All I ever wanted out of this was to swim with my friends. To swim with you! But it's too late now, I screwed up _(like always)_." Rin says, getting off Haru. "No it's not. Let's go, Rin." Haru says. You hear footsteps approach but you don't turn around. 

"There they are."

"Hey, Rin-chan!" 

"You guys, I-"

"It has to be said, watching you two interact frustrates me to no end. If you want to swim, by all means just do it!" Rei demands, as Haru and Rin stand up. "Rin, come with us." Haru pleads. Rin looks at him, and nods. "Alright." 

"(N/n)-chan, are you okay?" Nagisa asks, making Haru and Rin look at you. "(Y/n)?"

You throw your arms around them both, "Stop making me so worried all the time. Both of you." You say, your voice cracking. But you don't cry, because you were never a crybaby.

*~*

You watch as everyone in the group hugs. You run over to them, smiling big. "You guys did it! I'm so proud of you!!" You say, jumping on Rin's back to join in the group hug. You get down as the group separates. Rin wraps and Makoto wrap their arms around your neck and your back. "You guys are the best." Rin says. "It's good to have you back," Makoto says.

"But, I didn't do anything," You protest. "(Y/n), no matter what you say, you've always been there for us even when things were going on with you! Back then, you couldn't swim with us in relays, yet you always cheered for us.. That's something nobody can compete with." Haru says to you. 

You blush, looking away. "Shut up." 

Everyone else starts laughing, and you smile. 

_This_ , you think to yourself. _Is all I ever wanted_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Skies


	10. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader-chan in season 2? OOP.
> 
> Enjoy!

**~A few lovely months later~**

"Over here, everyone!" Gou chants loudly, waving at the five of you. 

"This is the farewell match?" Makoto asks, looking at Gou. "Yeah." She answers. "Seems very extravagant," Makoto remarks. "I wonder what intense races we'll see!" Nagisa shouts excitedly. 

"One hundred 100m races. It's a Samezuka tradition to continue until someone beats the captain." 

You all look over to see the red haired loser. "Rin!" You sing happily, and he smiles at you. "Hey. Thanks for coming, you guys." He says. "You already raced, Rin-chan?" Nagisa asks, and you look at Rin for the answer. "No, not yet." He answers. "Anyways, 100m races is illogical." Rei complains, and Rin scoffs. "Captain Mikoshiba doesn't care about what's logical." Rin explains. "I see."

"Oh, you guys came, too!" Seijuro exclaims, walking over to you guys, then he looks at you and blushes slightly. "Hey cutie." 

You grumble and turn away, and Rin yanks you over by him. Seijuro laughs and faces the others. "Wanna jump in for old times sake?" He asks. "What, us too?" Makoto ask, his eyes wide. "Ooh! I do!" You chant, and everyone looks at you. "I thought you quit," Rin remarks, and you huff. "I did, but he said for old times sake, so how could I not?" 

"No, we're just visiting!" Rei declines, and you pout. "Don't hold back! It'll be a Samezuka versus Iwatobi 400m Freestyle relay! Matsuoka, you're swimming, too." Seijuro demands. "Okay." Rin responds. "Anyone else wanna swim?" Seijuro questions. "I-I do!" Nitori _(I like calling him Nitori wayyy more than his first name lol)_ exclaims. "Alright, get over here, Nitori!" Seijuro shouts.

"H-Hang on a second!" Makoto protests while Seijuro continues to ask people to join. Meanwhile, Haru's already stripped down into his swimsuit. "I guess it can't be helped," Makoto sighs. "Right?" Nagisa concurs, and Rei lets out a "huh?" 

Makoto and Nagisa pull out their swimsuits. "Why do you have your swimsuits, too?!" Rei shouts. "It's okay, Rei-chan, I'll swim in your place!" You chant. "You know freestyle?" He asks and you nod. 

"I know all the strokes." 

"You sure about this? I don't want to hurt a cutie like you!" Seijuro chants, and you scoot away from him. "Buzz off!" You whine. "(Y/n), you have a swimsuit?" Rin asks and you shake your head. "No." You respond nonchalantly, unbuttoning your blazer. Rin's face turns red. "H-Hey! You can't just wear that stuff in front of a bunch of guys!" He exclaims. "Why? It's not that different from a bikini." You say, sliding your blazer off your arms, people whistling at your exposed torso.

"(N/n)-chan!!" Nagisa exclaims, trying to cover you. You slip off your skirt, as Rin continuously tries to stop you, Haru chiming in.

"You can't just swim naked." Haru states.

"It's just a bra and panties. Think of it like a bikini, that should be better." You reply, stretching your arms. Your undergarments were bland anyway. Nitori hands you a cap and some spare goggles. "Here, (L/n)-senpai." 

You watch as Makoto prepares for the race. He jumps in the moment he hears the whistle. Nagisa and Nitori line up next. Haru looks at you. "You sure about this?" He asks, and you nod. "Yup!" You chant, walking up once Nagisa hits his turn. You notice your going against Seijuro. "What a surprise," You say, and he winks at you. "I won't lose." He says.

"Don't bet on that," You say, jumping in once Nagisa touched the wall. Your form was perfect, and you were really fast. You hit your turn gracefully, making your way to the other side of the pool. You touch the wall, Haru jumping in. You pull off your cap and goggles, breathing heavy. You see a big hand held out to you, and you follow it to see it's Makoto's. "You swim just like Haru, (Y/n)." He compliments. You take his hand, as he pulls you out of the water. "Wow, your like a mermaid!" Nagisa chants.

* 

"Aw, we lost!" Nagisa whines. You smile. "It's okay, Nagisa. What matters is if you had fun." You say, ruffling his damp hair. 

"Everyone, good work. Today is the last day for us third-years. Now we have no regrets. But! Your peaceful days will soon come to an end! 'Cause an amazing swimmer will be joining in April! So enjoy your last days while you can!" Seijuro says, laughing evilly.

"What evil villain is he trying to be?" Rei asks. 

"Matsuoka."

"Yes, sir."

"You're captain starting tomorrow. I'm leaving this club to you." 

"Yes, sir."

Everyone starts clapping for him. 

"Rin-san doesn't seem like the captain typ-"

"What are you talking about?! No matter how you look at it, his muscles are captain level!" Gou shouts.

Once the group disperses, you run up to Rin cheerfully. "Good job, Rin!" You exclaim, jumping on him. He blushes slightly. "Thanks, (Y/n)." He says. "Hey, come by the Iwatobi pool later, okay?"

"Sure."

*~*

"Take him away!"

"Ki-Ki!"

"Hey! Wait! Let go! Hey!"

"Don't struggle." Haru says.

"Hey! You--"

"Haru-chan, you forgot your sentence ending!" Nagisa exclaims.

"Don't struggle, moge." 

"Hey wait! What do you mean "moge"?! C'mon, let go!" 

"Can we hurry now? He's pretty heavy," You complain. 

"Oh no, don't take my big brother away!" 

"What, you're here too, Gou?!"

"Rin, don't kick!" You cry.

"You guy's stop messing arou-"

You pull the Iwatobi-chan off of his head. "Look, idiot." You say as he opens his eyes slightly. In front of him was the Iwatobi pool, full of cherry blossoms. It was so beautiful, and the reason why you dragged Rin here in the first place was because of what he said when you all were kids.

"Oh," Rin says, at a loss for words. "When we were in elementary school, didn't you say you wanted to swim in the cherry blossom pool?" You ask him. "We originally opened the pool to try and get some new members." Makoto explains. "Ama-chan worked really hard to get permission." Nagisa chimes. "But in the end, no one came." Rei complains. "But thanks to that, we were able to see a cherry blossom pool, so we wanted to show you, too."

"You guys..." Rin starts, then turns around to hide he was about to cry.

"Rin, go ahead." You say. "Huh?" 

"Go ahead." You all say in unison. "I guess we have to let you swim." Haru remarks. "I want to, but it's too cold to swim." Rin states. "C'mon big brother, take it off _(when I saw that part i died)_!" Gou chimes, pulling out a camera. "You don't have to hold back!" You chant, you and Nagisa pushing him towards the pool. "Hey!"

"Yeah, you don't have to be embarrassed!" Nagisa says. "I'm not embarrassed! Wait, stop-"

You shriek as it starts to rain. You, Makoto, Haru, and Rin run over to the bench, that was covered with a hood. "The weather forecast didn't say anything about rain." Makoto states. "Aw, all my hard work." You whine. There was a comfortable silence for a while.

"That reminds me... Have you guys thought about what you'll do after graduation?" Rin inquires, and you all look at him. "Not really." Haru says, looking away. "What do you mean, "not really?" Rin questions in annoyance. "Rin, your aiming for the world, right?" Makoto asks. "Yeah, I've already wasted a lot of time. This summer's nationals are my last chance. Scouts will be at nationals. If I do well there, I can get closer to my dream," Rin explains, then he turns to the three of you. "(Y/n), Haru, Makoto, what will you three be doing?" 

"I.....haven't decided yet." Makoto answers, and Haru doesn't answer. "Tch. You haven't thought about it? What about you, (Y/n)?" Rin asks, and the three of them look at you. You hum and think to yourself. "I'm....not sure." You say. Rin raises a brow. "Why don't you swim again? You swam today, and your amazing." He says. "Naturally." You respond cockily, and Rin scoffs at your answer. "Swimming is a maybe right now. I've got all A's so for now I'm just gonna work on getting some scholarships." You explain.

"Oh."

*~*

You slide open your door, completely exhausted. "Thanks for walking me home, Haru. See you tomorrow." You say, turning to him before you close your door. "Yeah." He responds, walking on to his house. You shut your door, kicking off your shoes and trudging to the living room. "(Y/n)!" Your mom chants, peeking out of the kitchen. Your parents came home for the first time in years, much to your surprise. They got back last week, and they told you they're going back to America in a few days. 

"Yeah?" You answer, turning to the (h/c) woman. "I've never seen him before, that your boyfriend?" She asks, and you blush. "No, he's not! I've known him since I was seven." You reply, crossing your arms. "Ohhh! He's a cutie dear! You both will probably date eventually," (M/n) says, smiling big. "I hear wedding bells!" You sigh. "No you don't! That was dad walking in the door." You state, pointing at the door, and it was in fact your dad. 

"Hey, princess. Your back later than I thought." (F/n) says, walking over to you and giving you a hug. You don't wrap your arms back around him, but you lean into his chest. "I went to a swimming event." You respond, and he let's you go. "(Y/n), you swim?" He asks, surprised. You huff. "It was forever ago, back in Middle School. My friends made me join the swimming club with them back in elementary." You say.

You hear your moms beautiful laugh all the way in the kitchen. "Your dad used to be a great swimmer back in High School!" She chants. And you look at your dad with eyes wide as saucers. "What? Are you serious? Why don't I know about this?" You question. "Well, we never knew you swam either. What strokes do you know?" (F/n) asks, and smile cockily. "All of them," You say. And it was his turn to get surprised. 

"Really? That's amazing, (Y/n)! I would like to see that in action." He says.

"I quit back in Middle School.." You say, sounding disappointed. (F/n) looks at you sadly for a moment, then smiles. 

"No worries. If it was something you were really passionate about, then it'll come back to you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Skies


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oop, don't tell me this chapter is filled with plot twists?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter has swearing. If swearing offends you in any kind of way, I apologize in advance.

"Mako-chan! Haru-chan! (N/n)-chan!" Nagisa exclaims, waving at the three of you. "Good morning." Rei greets politely. "Morning." You and Makoto say. "It's the butterfly guy!" Ren and Ran chant, repeatedly singing butterfly or glasses. "Rei-chan, your so popular!" Nagisa remarks. "Please, stop." Rei responds, sounding flabbergasted. Shortly afterwards, you all decide to go into the swimming club. "Hey everyone!" Gou exclaims, waving you all over. You run to her, giving her a hug

"Here's the program for today," She says, handing it to Makoto. "It seems as if the schedule's pretty packed today," Ama states. "I'm looking forward to it!" Nagisa chants, and you smile. "Me too!" You say. You all then look over by the entrance to see Rin dragging some boy, and Nitori standing next to them with a worried look on his face. "I thought we were going somewhere with lots of cuties!" says the orange (?) haired boy. 

"Shut up. There are lots of cuties here. See? Cute kids." Rin says, making the boy start fake crying. "I was tricked! Big brother!" 

"Let go of me!"

"Stop struggling!" 

You walk over to them, wanting to scope out the commotion. "Hi, Rin! Hi, Nitori!" You say, smiling. "Hey, (Y/n)." Rin says, smiling back at you. "Wait a sec. Your so cute!" The boy says, making you blush. "Shut up, I don't even know you." You respond, crossing your arms. "She's mine, anyway." Rin remarks. You sigh. "No, I'm not."

"Rin, everyone, thanks for coming." Makoto says, smiling. "No problem! I was looking forward to it, too!" The boy responds. "Really? I'm glad." Makoto says kindly. "Oh, Sousuke-kun!" Gou says, and you look over, gasping excitedly, running over to him. You jump on him, giving him a big hug. "Sousuke! Your back! I missed you so much!" You shout happily. Sousuke laughs, and hugs you back. "Hey, (Y/n). I missed you too, but your heavy!" He says, and you get off him, smiling big.

"I haven't heard from you at all since you went to another high school. You're just like Rin!" You chide, pouting. "I'm sorry!" He says, smiling. You start smiling again. "When did you get back? Why didn't you come see me? My parents are back in town!" You ramble.

"Who is he?" Rei asks Nagisa. "That's Rin's friend from Sano Elementary School. He's also (Y/n)'s cousin, even though they act more like siblings. He swam in the lane next to us in the relay we swam as kids." Nagisa explains. "Is that so? What about (Y/n)'s parents? She doesn't talk about them much." Rei questions again. "Well, it's complicated, but I guess their back in town for the first time since she was six." Nagisa says. "Oh," Rei says. 

"Well, see you later," Rin says. "Let's go."

"Bye, Sousuke!" You chant happily, waving at him. He smiles at you one last time before turning away. Then, the boy from earlier pops up in your face. "I'm Momotaro Mikoshiba! My hobby's looking for stag beetles, and my favorite saying is "Even kappa can have trouble swimming." I'm good at making fried eggs, the first place I wash is-"

"Hurry up and walk." Rin says, grabbing Momotaro and dragging him away. 

"Owww!"

*~*

"Excuse me?" 

"(Y/n), calm down." (F/n) says, raising his hands up. You stare at him with hatred in your eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you? How could you do that to her?" You shout at him, and he inhales sharply. "This wouldn't have been the first affair I've had," He says. Your blood boils, as you look away. "It doesn't take rocket science for me to figure that out, but to hell with that. You have a completely different child from a completely different woman!" You shout, wanting to throttle your dad.

"I know, (Y/n)! But your mother doesn't know that." (F/n) says, and you glare at him with pure disgust in your eyes. "You think I don't know that? You both have been nothing but the same ever since I was little. You miss a whole chunk of my life, because you both love your jobs more than you love your own daughter! You know how old I am now? I'm seventeen! It's been twelve years! I'm a third year now!" You yell.

"I know, (Y/n)."

"If you know so damn much, why are you still here? Why'd you cheat? Why'd you lie? Your a fucking faker." 

"(Y/n), quiet down, your mother will hear.." (F/n) says, his voice quiet. "Let her fucking hear! Maybe you guys need a divorce. You guys aren't for each other, obviously. And hell, you both mean nothing to me anyway, the most parent-like people I've had ever in my whole life was (G/n). Hell, even (Gf/n) when he was alive. But shit, both of them are fucking dead. I've taken care of myself since I was a first-year in Middle School. And you know what? Even when (G/n) and (Gf/n) died, you both still didn't come back." You respond, your head pounding and your breathing heavy.

"(Y/n)," (F/n) starts, and you look at him. "What?" You ask, your voice cracking.

"He's a sweet kid, he really is. His mother is in prison right now, and he's living with his grandfather at the moment. I wan't him to come stay with you." (F/n) explains. "Why the fuck would I do that? He's no brother of mine," You remark, facing away from your dad. "He's a quiet kid, he speaks his mind often, but-"

"When did your fling happen? Was it in America? Or was it when you both were still working out here?" You interrupt. "You were probably about, I'd say two years old. She says he's my kid, and I got tested and everything. He's my son. She told me she was going to prison, and he needs his father. But I work so much, so I told her that I'd help her when I can." (F/n) explains. You frown. "Your not much of a father anyway." You mumble. 

"How old is he?" You speak up. 

"Fifteen."

You grumble, pinching the bridge of your nose. "Where does he stay?" You ask. "He lives in Kyoto." (F/n) responds. "That's far." You state, sighing. "If it's out of your abilities, then you don't have to do this, (Y/n). But I know he's not in the best of care with his grandmother." (F/n) replies. You glare at him. "Okay, I get that. I'll get him once you both leave... And I won't tell mom. But your going to have to tell her eventually." You say, standing up.

"Thank you, (Y/n)."

"Whatever. I'm leaving," You mumble. "I can't even breathe in this house right now."

*~*

You ring Haru's doorbell, kicking the dirt underneath your feet. It doesn't take long for your dark haired friend to open the door. 

"(Y/n)? Are you alright?" Haru asks worriedly, moving out the way to let you walk in. "No," You respond, walking in and sliding your shoes off by his door. You walk up to Haru's room, flopping onto his bed. He comes in after you shortly, sitting next to you. "What happened?" He asks again.

"My parents," You say, staring at the ceiling. 

"You want to tell me what happened?" 

You explain to him your situation, and he ponders in silence. "I don't know what to do. I want to get him, but I don't even know his name, and hell, I know he's fifteen but he's no child of mine." You remark angrily. "But he is your brother, (Y/n). You can't deny that, even if you tried. I know what your dad did was wrong, but that shouldn't influence your decisions on him, because he really doesn't have a role in this situation." Haru explains. You knew he was right. 

You bite your lip, tears clouding your vision. "T-They finally come back after so many years, just to fuck me over all over again. What the hell do I do?"

You try to hold back your tears, because everyone knew (Y/n) (L/n) doesn't cry. 

"(Y/n), you can cry. I'm here."

You let out a harsh breath, your tears falling like a waterfall. You sit up, and start sobbing uncontrollably, trying to wipe the tears away but they just kept falling. Haru wraps his arms around your back, pulling you into his arms. You clutch onto his shirt, soaking it with your tears. "I-I j-just.....I-I just w-w-want real p-parents," You wail, your words getting caught in your throat. "I want my grandma.." 

"Shh, I know." Haru murmurs, holding you tightly. 

You cry for a few minutes until you start to calm down. The room is filled with quiet sobs, but soon they stop as you let out a shaky breath, still clutching onto Haru. "Thank you," you murmur. Haru releases you, and you look up at his deep blue eyes. "I'm not going anywhere," He says quietly. You grab his shirt roughly, pressing your lips onto his. He was surprised at first, but he eventually kisses you back, cupping your cheeks. 

You pull away, breathing heavy. Haru's cheeks were flushed pink, and you grab his hand. "Can I stay the night here?" You ask. He nods quietly. You yawn, laying your head on his lap, falling asleep.

"Goodnight, (Y/n)."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I'm stressed out. You haven't kissed Rin yet! >u>
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Skies


	12. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I would have a swear warning, but this chapter just has words like hell and damn.  
> SHort cHappie ;~;

"Hey guys! Where's Rei?" You say, greeting everyone. "He had plans today. Are your parents home? I'd really like to meet them, (N/n)-chan!" Nagisa exclaims. "Um, yeah, their still here." You respond, your tone laced with sadness. You shake it off and move out the way, allowing everyone to come in. "Mom, I've got company! Don't embarrass me!" You yell, walking them into your living room. Everyone sits on your couch, while you sit on the armrest.

"(Y/n)!" (M/n) chants, walking into the living room. Everyone had surprised looks on their faces upon seeing your mother. After all, you had majority of your mothers features, her curvy body, her gorgeous (h/c) hair, her smooth, clear (s/c) skin, you both were almost identical, but you did have your fathers (e/c) eyes and other features as well. "Wow, (N/n)-chan! Your mom is so pretty!" Nagisa exclaims.

"Oh my, what a sweet boy you are. Are these your friends, sweetie?" (M/n) asks. You nod. "Yeah, I grew up with these guys. This is Nagisa, Makoto, and Haruka." You introduce. "Hello, ma'am." Makoto responds, smiling kindly. "My, my, such handsome boys they are! Would you all like some snacks?" Your mother asks kindly. "Yes, please!" Nagisa chirps, and your mom makes her way to the kitchen. You sigh. "She's so annoying." You murmur.

"(Y/n), you look just like your mom." Makoto says, still surprised about meeting her for the first time. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't compare me to that idiot that I call my father." You respond. "Did something happen?" Nagisa asks. You explain to them the situation. 

"It's just like a romance/drama movie! (Y/n), your the beautiful girl that all the guys go after, but you only want two guys, Rin and Haru! You can't choose, and then your family comes back from their business trip and your dad was cheating all along, and you fall in love with both of the boys, and then, and then, and then-"

"Nagisa-"

"Shh!" Nagisa exclaims, pressing his finger on your plump (lip color) lips. Your eyebrows furrow. "I'm not done! Then you pick one of the guys and you all get married and live happily ever after!" You scowl at him. "This isn't a romance film, it's real life." You say. "That's big, (Y/n). Does your mom know?" Makoto asks. "No." You respond.

"Know what?" You mom inputs, sitting a tray of cookies onto the coffee table. "U-Um..." You stammer over your words. "That (Y/n) has a boyfriend!" Nagisa exclaims. "What? Nagisa!" You exclaim. "Oh?" Your mom smiles. "Must be you, Haru!" Haru nods his head. "Yep! They've been dating for a while now!" Makoto chimes. In your mind, you plot Nagisa's death. "(Y/n), I asked you the other day and you said no," (M/n) says, looking at you. "I-I was lying! Because I thought you would be mad!" You lie.

"Oh sweetie, I bet you both are just the cutest. Have you both kissed yet?" 

You and Haru's faces flush pink, while you quickly deny her question. She frowns. "Well, someday, then." She says, walking off to go upstairs. You sigh in relief. "Nagisa, unless you want to die young, don't ever do that again!" You exclaim. "I'm sorry! I had to think of something fast!" Nagisa exclaims, hugging you. "I'm sorry!" You glare at him. "Whatever." You say.

_(i just noticed that all your life everyone thinks you dated/date Haru lmao)_

"That's weird, that Rei isn't here."

*~*

You knock on the door, quietly. After a few minutes, you meet eye to eye with teal eyes. "(Y/n)? How'd you get in here?" Sousuke asks, his eyes wide.

"I had help. Now let me in before someone sees me." 

Sousuke moves out the way and lets you in, closing the door behind him. "What's up? Do you need something?" He inquires, and you sit on the bed. "I would've texted you, but I don't have your number. It's important, though." You explain, and you hand him your phone as he starts typing some numbers. "What's up?" He asks, handing your phone back. You sigh, and explain your situation to him.

"You serious?"

"So serious." You respond.

"(Y/n), this is big. What are you gonna do?" Sousuke inquires. "I'm gonna go, but I can't go alone." You reply, twiddling your thumbs anxiously. "I can go with you." Sousuke suggests. "Or do you want Rin to go with you instead?"

"What are you implying?"

"I know what's been going on since he's been back." 

You cheeks flush pink, surprised. You cross your arms, looking away. "Ugh, whatever. I'd rather you come, since it's a family thing." You say. "Rin doesn't even know about it." Sousuke nods, smiling slightly. "I'd be glad to come." He says. You smile big. "Thank you, Sousuke! You the best cousin-brother ever!" You exclaim happily. Sousuke smiles, then it falters. "Hey, Rin told me you stopped swimming. That true?" He asks. Your smile falters as well. "Well, yeah. But that was ages ago, Sousuke. Like, I don't know, maybe when I was a third-year in middle school?" 

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"You know damn well, you just don't want to speak your words into the open." 

You bite you lip. _How do I always end up in these situations?_ You think to yourself. "Look, it's personal, dude. Nothing serious." You reply. "Personal? (Y/n), stop bullshitting me. You were an amazing swimmer, remember when we used to race? You used to cry whenever you'd lose, but when you became a second-year in middle school you were even able to beat _me_. So don't tell me it's "personal" or that you simply, "don't know," because I know you, (Y/n)." Sousuke snaps.

You frown at his response, not necessarily hurt because Sousuke always lectured you. You sigh, rolling your eyes and placing one of your hands on your hips. "Yeah, okay, I get that. Can't you leave the past in the past? I'm a third-year now, middle school was years ago." You respond. "I understand that. But why'd you quit, when your literally a prodigy?" Sousuke inquires. 

"Mind your business, Sousuke. Yeah, we're family. But even family can be out of line. I know you want what's best for me, but seriously, I do better when I'm alone with my own problems, and my own issues." You reply as calmly as you can. "No, you don't. (Y/n), your just not built that way, your always gonna need somebody." Sousuke says, crossing his arms. His teal eyes and your (e/c) eyes have a stare down, that can make anyone piss their pants, but when it was you two, it was normal. 

"You may be right. But this is my life, not yours."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do u kno de wae?
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Skies


	13. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do u kno de wae?
> 
> Warning: This chapter has swearing. If swearing offends you in any kind of way, I apologize in advance.
> 
> This chapter is super duper short, but guess what? I DON't CaRe

You ring the door to the small looking home in Kyoto. Your heart races. "Oh no, Sousuke, I'm scared." You say, stepping behind him. "Wait, your the one getting him, if he sees just me, he'll be scared, or something." Sousuke protests. Shortly you here someone fumble the lock, and you peek your head out from behind Sousuke. The door slowly opens, revealing a boy a few inches taller than you, maybe Nagisa's height, and he had messy light brown hair, and the same (e/c) eyes as you and the same slightly toned skin as your dad _(If your dad doesn't have toned skin, then get over it and pretend he does)_. He had cute freckles around on his cheeks, nose, and a bit on his forehead. "Yes?" He says, looking at you both with an emotionless face. "Oh, sorry, but I don't do charity." The boy says, about the shut the door but you stop him.

"What is it?" He asks. 

"Are you Izumi (L/n)?" You ask, stepping out a bit. The boy stares at you for a second, then nods. "Yeah, I am. Who are you?" 

"I'm (Y/n) (L/n), I'm the daughter of (F/n) (L/n). I'm your sister..." You say bluntly, feeling awkward after you tell him your his sister. Izumi scrunches his nose up, his eyes narrowing at you. "(Y/n) (L/n)? Your the daughter pops is always talking about?" He asks. You frown and nod. "Yeah, he has no other daughters but me," You respond. "Mmmm. I don't believe you. Tell me something only he would know." He says. "Your mom is in jail and your grandmother is abusive?" You answer. He stares at you for a bit longer, before sighing. "Fine. I believe you. But who is he?" Izumi inquires again, pointing at Sousuke.

"This is Sousuke Yamazaki....our cousin. He goes to Samezuke High School." You explain. Sousuke smiles at him. "Hey, nice to meet you." He says. "Likewise, Yamazaki." Izumi answers. You sigh. "But besides that, my dad wants you to come stay with me. I live in Iwatobi in our grandmother's house." You explain. Izumi raises an eyebrow. "Why would I do that?" He questions. "You ask a lot of questions. But would you rather stay here under the crappy care of your grandmother, or come stay with me until your off to college, doing your own thing?" 

Izumi stares at you again, his gaze was intense for you, you'd never think someone with the exact same eyes as you could make you want to hide. "Fine. Come in." He says, moving out the way. His home was small, but clean. The floors were creaky and there were cracks in the walls. "You don't have to take off your shoes, just come on so I can leave already." Izumi says, going off to his room.

"Izumi, you piece of shit! Who were you talking to at the door?" You hear someone yell. Obviously, Izumi doesn't answer. "This is terrible." Sousuke comments, after being quiet for so long. He looks at his watch. "(Y/n), I'm gonna be late to practice.." He responds worriedly. "It's fine, Sousuke, I can handle it from here. Thanks for coming. Can you make it back okay?" You ask him, and he nods. "Of course, I'm a big kid now." He jokes, ruffling your hair and opening the door. "Be careful. I don't want to catch a case," 

"I will, I will."

After that, the door closes. 

"I said who was at the door you fucking bitch! If you don't answer me, I'll bash your head in with this bottle!" 

Shortly after she says that, Izumi comes out with a backpack. It doesn't look that full, so you look at him questioningly. "Is that everything?" You ask. "Yeah, I don't have much because she doesn't really take care of me." He says, his face as emotionless as it was when you first met him 20 minutes ago. "Where's Yamazaki?"

"He left for practice. C'mon before she goes crazy." You say ushering him out the house.

"Yeah, okay."

*~* 

"Here's your room. It used to be my uncle's back then, but I changed it into a guest room. If you want, we can decorate it. My mom and dad send me a lot of money every week, so nothing's too expensive." You explain. Izumi looks at you with a confused look in his eyes. "Really? So I can have whatever I want?" He asks. You nod. "I mean, yeah, I don't really care. But tomorrow is a school day, so get settled in. And later on, we'll be hanging out with some friends of mine, so you can get accustomed to things around here,"

"Are they all girls?" Izumi asks, a bit uninterested. 

"Actually, they are all guys." You say, smiling sheepishly. Izumi just looks at you. He doesn't return the smile or anything. He looks away after a while, and places his backpack on the ground. "Alright." He says. "I'll leave you alone. Maybe tomorrow, we can go shopping, and get you some more stuff." You suggest. "If it doesn't bother you, (L/n)." Izumi says. You frown at him calling you by your last name. "Izumi, I'm your sister, you can just call me by my first name or something.." You say.

"Okay, how about nii-chan?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Skies


	14. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really want to add sooooo many more characters to this story to spice it up. Like maybe two more characters so the swim club could have a second relay team, but in my brain, I'm like how in the hell am I going to fit that into the story?  
> But whatever, I'll take my chances. But who knows?

You walk silently to your house, earbuds blasting in your ears. Gou had recently texted you that she would be coming to your house later, so since you were out, you decided now would be the best time to make your way home. Your eyebrows furrow as you played your little rpg game _(those used to be lit bro)_. You flinch as you bump into a hard chest. You look up about to apologize then continue on but you realized it was just your red haired loser.

You pull the earbuds out your ears, smiling up at him. "Hey, Rin. Funny seeing you here. What you up to?" 

"I'm just walking around," He says, smiling back at you. "How's that brother of yours?" 

"He's been doing fine, thanks for asking. Everyone seems to like him a lot. All of the first-year guys like him, and the girls are basically in love with him. He's a pretty cool guy." You explain. "Yeah, he reminds me of you sometimes." Rin says. You laugh. "That's what Nagisa said a couple days ago," You respond, as your fits of laughter stop. You then look at him. "Walk home with me?" You ask. Rin seems surprised from your offer, then smirks. "Sure." He answers, as you guys start walking. "Gou is supposed to be coming over later, so you could stay over if you want." You suggest.

"Nah, you and Gou should just hang out. You need more girl friends anyway." Rin says, and you pout and punch him in the arm, and he laughs while grabbing his arm in pain. "You hit harder than I thought." He says, still laughing. It would've surprised anyone, since you were a petite girl. 

"Your such a loser." You say, crossing your arms. Rin smiles down at you. "And your such a cutie."

You flush red at his remark, huffing. "Don't say thinks like that," You murmur in embarrassment, while Rin just chuckles at you.

*~*

_"Why would you leave right before Middle School? And you didn't even tell me, but you told the others." You say, hurt obvious in your voice. The maroon haired boy looks at you sadly, trying to smile reassuringly. "It's nothing personal, (N/n), I just didn't want you to look at me with that sad face that you have now." He explains. "Well, it hurts more now, since you never considered telling me, Rin... what, did you think I was going to cry?" You inquire. Rin smiles slightly. "No, because you never cry." He responds. You pull your scarf closer to your face, to hide the growing blush on your face._

_"It won't be the same, without you."_

_"You'll have Haru, Makoto, and Nagisa."_

_"I'm always had them, though," You remark. "you were like a fresh start." Rin blushes, smiling big. "Your just so cute!" He says happily, making you bury your face into your scarf even more. "I'm not." You mumble. Rin stares at you for a second, then looks at the grass beside you both. He picks up a snowy flower, handing it to you. "Will you wait for me?" He questions. You look at him with a face of bewilderment, taking the flower gently. "Huh?"_

_"We're pretty young now, but when I'm older, I'll most likely be back in Japan. Then I'll tell you how I feel." Rin explains. You raise an eyebrow. "How you feel? What do you mean? How you feel about what?"_

_Rin looks up at you, his cheeks dusted pink. "About you, of course."_

**~Reality~**

"(Y/n)? You okay?"

You shake your head and look over at your red haired friend. "Yeah, Kou, I'm fine, what did you say?" You ask. Gou sighs, then smiles and shakes her head. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to join the swim club....I know you quit swimming! But it's something to consider...." She says, pulling a paper from out from her backpack. "What? Kou, no." You say, denying her offer almost instantly. "Just take the paper! Please, just consider it. We're in a really tough pickle right now.." She whines, shoving the paper in your face again.

You sigh, glaring at her then taking the paper hastily. You throw it somewhere in your room. "There's a 1% chance I'll actually look into it." You say. "At least there's a chance at all," Gou says, smiling. "Hey, where's Izumi-kun?" You shrug. "I don't know. He said he was going out. That's all I know. I'm praying that he's just with Haru and the others or something." You respond, shaking your head.

"I'm sorry about your dad, (Y/n)." Gou says, looking at you sadly. "It's fine. He was no father of mine anyway.." You say, crossing your arms. "You know you still love him, he's your dad! I know it's hard to forgive him, but he's still your father. He probably won't be back for years for all you know. Just be happy about how life is now. You've got two hotties at each other's throats just to be with you, you have the cutest little brother, and you've got possibly the greatest friends in the world. It might seem like things are terrible now, but you've got a lot going for you," Gou explains. 

"You're a therapist now?"

Gou laughs. "No, I just think we mesh better when your happy." She says happily. "Your right, though. But I'm just that kind of girl that holds grudges. I can't forgive him." You respond. "Well, you've still got us at the swim club, Rin, Sousuke, and Izumi. You have nothing to lose, trust me." Gou says, wrapping her arm around your shoulder, pulling you into a side hug. 

"Sure I don't."

"Of course not, just trust me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chappie was trash, but tomorrow, I'll update this and my other story, so that's a double update for ya.
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Skies


	15. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to update. Fite me.

"Nii-chan."

**_Snore_ **

"Nii-chan."

**_Twitch_ **

"Nii-chan!"

You squeal as you jump up from your couch. "What happened? Oh crap, is the house on fire?" You ask frantically, looking at your little brother. Izumi looks at you like your the dumbest person in the world. "Um, no. I just wanted to know if you wanted to go on a walk with me?" He inquired. Even while asking a harmless question, his (e/c) eyes still bored into yours. You gulped and nodded slightly. "Uhm, sure." You said, fiddling with the tie of your sweatpants. 

"Let's go then. You already wasted my time by being such a heavy sleeper." Izumi says, getting off his knees and walking to the door.

You huff, following him. "I'm sorry, but I was having a great dream until you decided to wake me up from my beauty sleep." You retort, sarcastically. "If its beauty sleep, why do you still look like that?" Izumi asks, looking at you. He didn't really have a joking look on his face, he just deadpanned at you. "Look, I might not be the girliest and I may not do my hair 24/7, but I'll have you know that my beauty sleep does work when it feels like it!"

Izumi looks away from you. "I was kidding." He says, again, his face still the same. No smile or anything, really. He was kinda like Haru, when you thought about it. _And how am I supposed to be like this kid?_ You ask yourself, then shake it off. He was your brother. He obviously had certain things that reminded other people of you, you just couldn't put your little finger on it. 

"Is it always like that where you live? Quiet with the nice neighbors and all your best friends around each corner?" Izumi asks.

"It's always been quiet, yeah. I've lived here almost all my life. And all my best friends don't live around each corner, idiot." 

"I figured so, I was just using sarcasm."

You sigh, he was so not like you! You two were complete opposites! 

"What about you? I know a little bit about your life when you lived in Kyoto, but not that much. What's it like?" You ask. "Kyoto is actually very beautiful, but I lived on the outskirts where things weren't always as pretty." Izumi explains, looking at you. "I figured that much. Why is your grandmother so abusive? And she sounded quite _young_." 

"She is quite young in fact. I think she's in her forties or so?" Izumi says, placing his hand on his chin. You mouth gaps open. "Seriously?! So how old is your mom?!" You exclaim. "Your really loud, you know. It is late and we are in public." Izumi remarks, glaring at you. You glare back at him. "Yeah, yeah, sorry, but answer my question." You demand. "I don't recall her age, I just know she had me while she was in high school."

Your mouth gaped open. You dad messed around with a teenager and he was a full grown adult? It made your hatred grow and your blood boil. "You should close your mouth. Bugs will fly in it." Izumi states, and you quickly shut your mouth. You thought you were angry, but then it just washed away. Why weren't you mad? Your dad made you want to explode, and for a moment while hearing that, you thought you were going to lose it.

"Are you alright? Did I say something wrong?" Izumi asks you. You look at him, his expression was normal, but his (e/c) orbs showed a bit of emotion you've never really seen before. 

"No, Izumi, you didn't say anything wrong, I was just thinking about dad." 

"Did he hurt you?"

You frown at his question. "Not necessarily, but he was always a bit of a disappointment to me when I was a little kid. Him and my mom work a lot, and they don't really call or come to see me a lot. They just send money and that's just about it." You explain. Izumi nods in understanding. "I see." He says. "I'm sorry for asking. I didn't mean to say such things." 

"Izumi, it's fine. I'm your sister, your my brother. You need to know that much, at least." You respond. Izumi nods. "Your right, nii-chan." 

"There is one more thing I was questioning," Izumi starts, and you look at him expectantly. "Do you date Nanase-senpai or Matsuoka-senpai?" You turn pink. "I don't date either of them. It's complicated." You answer. Izumi closes his eyes, pondering for a second. "Ah, I see. So you love them both." He says. You eyes widen. "Whoa! Love is a strong word! Okay, yeah I love them as a friend and whatnot, but romantically it's more of a......like-like."

Izumi gives you the same look from earlier, like he was thinking you could possibly be the dumbest person in the world. "Your not as smart as you look."

"I'm a straight A student, you moron!"

*~*

You walk silently with your brother to school, yawning since you both stayed up so late. The silence was killing you so you decide to speak up. "Izumi, when you were going to your old school, did you join any clubs?" You inquire, looking at him. "I did basketball." He answers, not looking at you. It was kind of bothering you, you liked looking at him eye to eye, even though his gaze was always intense unlike your soft (e/c) eyes.

"Well, I know Nagisa and Makoto are looking for people to join the swim club. I don't know if you know how to swim but, if you want, that option is on the table." You suggest. 

"Are you joining?" Izumi asks, finally looking at you. 

"Uhm, no."

"Why? I thought you swim?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Hazuki told me about it." 

You growled, wanting to throttle the boy next time you saw him, but you shook it off. "So I'm assuming he already offered it to you." You conclude. Izumi nods. "When he asked me to join I told him to ask you, and he said you don't swim anymore. That sucks, I heard you were good. Don't you miss it?" He asks. You nod. "Sorta, it was my passion back when I was little. I used to swim with the others and all that jazz."

"Geez, so you did grow up with those imbeciles? No wonder your so stupid."

"It takes one to know one, y'know?" 

Izumi grumbles, looking away from you as you laugh at your victory. But one thing was bothering you. It was quiet again.

"Pops told me about his swimming days when he first met me. I think I was 10 or so. I was really interested, because all my life I wondered who my dad was, and he was sitting right in front of me. I wanted to be just like him. When I was 12, he came to visit again, I wanted him to teach me how to swim. He stayed for about two weeks, but some days he had to take care of business so we didn't get to practice. But when we did, we'd go to the local pool and he'd teach me something new." Izumi explained.

"We're you good at it?"

"No, I sucked at every one of them."

You were surprised at his bluntness, and at the same time you couldn't believe it. Wasn't this kid like a perfectionist or something?

"I hated breaststroke. I don't know why, but I didn't think it was appealing. Pops taught me the basics to everything. I practiced a lot. Even when he was gone, I still practiced. I eventually came to a conclusion that I'm not skilled at all the strokes. So it came down to the stroke I really didn't want to try, and I turned out to be really good at it," Izumi continues. "But when it came to school clubs, I didn't think I was good enough to join the swim club, so I did basketball. I swam in my free time though. Then pops stopped visiting. Then grandma started getting physical. After that, I really didn't have much time for swimming." 

_He's really not cut out to be a father, at all_ , you think to yourself. You shake it off, wanting to get back to the task at hand. "Nagisa must've given you the swim club paper, right?"

"Yeah he did. Why?" Izumi asks, looking at you.

"You should join, then. I would suit you better."

"Are you joining?" Izumi responds, irritating you because it was the same answer as before.

"No." You respond, huffing. "Then why should I? There's no point of doing it if you're not there." Izumi complains, huffing as well. "What does it have to do with me? I don't have control over your decisions." You remark, looking away from him. Izumi does the same, running his hands through his messy light brown hair. "Swimming suits you, too." He states, making you huff again. 

"Shouldn't we be at school by now?"

*~*

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry!" 

"Watch where you're going, next time."

"Gosh Izumi, you don't have to be so mean."

You watch as the brown haired girl scrambles to pick up Izumi's fallen papers. When she gathers them, she hands them to Izumi with her eyes shut tightly, and her cheeks a bright red. "I'm really, really sorry! I should've been paying attention." She says, hurriedly. You pick up a paper that seemed to fall by your feet. You knew it wasn't Izumi's because it had the girls name on it. _It's a swimming club paper_ , you think to yourself, slightly surprised. "I think you dropped this," You say, handing her the paper. She looks at you then the paper. "Oh! Thank you so much!" She says, taking the paper out of your hands gently. She looked at you with her big sky blue eyes before looking at the ground in embarrassment.

She had long dark brown hair that was put into two low ponytails, and she was a bit smaller than you, but not that much. She had a really small figure, and her skin was almost pale. _(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Csr8XjhXYAAomN3.jpg)_

You smile at her kindly, even though she was looking down. "I'm (Y/n) (L/n), and this is my brother Izumi. You can call me (Y/n), if that makes you comfortable." You greet kindly. She looks at you, her cheeks still red. "I-I'm Mao Ushiko. I'm so sorry for this, (Y/n)-senpai, (L/n)-kun." She says, bowing. "It's fine, Mao. I noticed you were joining the swim club. She fiddles with the paper, looking off to the side. "U-Um, yeah, I really want to. I moved here from Fukuoka and while I lived there I swam. I-I'm not the best at it, but I really do enjoy swimming." 

"My brother and I were considering it too. They really need members right now." You say.

Mao nods. "I want to be as helpful as I can!" She says. 

"Well, why are we just standing here? Stop wasting my time." Izumi says, starting to walk away.

 _'He's a sweet kid,' he said. Sweet kid my butt_ , you thought to yourself, you and Mao following him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought you needed some bonding time with lil bro.
> 
> I thought we needed more girls like Rin said, so how do you all feel about Mao? I love her already, tbh. 
> 
> Thanks for Reading!  
> ~Skies


	16. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SOOOO sorry I haven't been updating! It's just really hard for me, with writers block and my busy life. But here I am, in my spare time, writing this chapter for all of you. Thanks for being patient!

"Really?! You mean all of you, even YOU (N/n)-chan, want to join the Swim Club?!" Nagisa exclaims. 

"Yup. That's what I said." You respond. 

"This is amazing! I never thought this day would come!" Nagisa cheers. Everyone walks into the locker room _(I'm guessing that's what it is, it has lockers in it but I don't know if they change in there or not)_ to see what Nagisa's yelling about. "Nagisa, what are you yelling about?" Ama asks, crossing her arms. Nagisa bounces happily. "(N/n)-chan and Izu-chan and their friend say they want to join!" Nagisa cheers. Everyone seems surprised as all their expressions turn happy, well, except for Haru.

"That's great! (L/n), you swim?" Makoto asks. Izumi nods. "Yes, I do." He answers. 

"(Y/n), you actually considered it! So does that mean your going to be swimming?" Gou asks, running up to you and grabbing your hands. "Um, yeah I guess. Or there wouldn't be a point in me joining." You say, uncomfortable from her contact with your hands. "Wait, I thought you quit." Rei inputs. You nod. "Yeah, but I can't lie to myself anymore, I realllllyyy miss swimming." You explain. Nagisa laughs happily. "I'm sooooo happy! Hold on, you haven't properly introduced yourself!" He exclaims, pointing at Mao, who was fidgeting shyly behind you. She jumps in surprise, her face turning red. "W-Who me?" 

"Yes, you! What's your name?" Nagisa asks, getting close to her face.

"I-I'm M-Mao Ushiko!" She stutters, moving away from Nagisa nervously. 

"Hiya! No need to be shy! My names Nagisa Hazuki! That's Haruka, Makoto, Rei, and Gou! And of course you know Miss Ama." 

"It's Kou!" Gou yells, then she smiles at Mao. "It's so nice to meet you. We need more girls in this club!" 

"You're scaring her." Rei says, sighing. "Oh well there's no need to worry, Ushiko-chan." Makoto reassures her, smiling. She shuffles in her spot, nodding shyly. "So, what do you swim?" You ask her, smiling. "I-I'm good at butterfly, b-but that's pretty much it." She responds, smiling. 

"Well you all get to training! I'll get everyone accustomed to the club and it's rules." Gou says, shooing everyone away. Everyone disperses from the room, as she walks over to the three of you. 

*~*

"They're loud."

"Yeah, but it's mainly Nagisa and Gou," You say, laughing at Izumi.

"Why does he call me that?"

"Call you what?"

"'Izu-chan.'" 

You laugh. "Nagisa always goes by nicknames. If you tell him to stop he won't listen. That's how it's been since we were kids." You say. "You all call each other by nicknames, though." Izumi states. You nod. "Yeah, but like I said, that's how it's been since we were kids." You respond. "Must've been fun," Izumi starts. "to grow up with your friends." 

"Not when they're all guys. They've all liked me at least once while growing up." 

"Then why not hang out with girls?"

"There's nothing wrong with them, but ew why would I do that? They're so....... _girly_." You answer. "They're girls, you idiot. Unlike you, they act like females." Izumi remarks. You put your hand over your heart, acting offended. "Are you saying I act like a dude?" You ask.

"Precisely."

"Ouch, I'm offended." You say, sarcastically. "But besides all the random liking thing, I'm pretty sure one or two of them are gay now." Izumi raises his eyebrow at your remark. "Seriously?" He asks. You nod. "But don't tell them I told you. I'm waiting for one of them to tell me first, then tell the others, that's how it always works. I'm always the first to know about things like that."

"Oh, I see. So your like the glue."

"The glue? Well, I guess you could call it that. I don't know what to call it." 

Your lovely gossip with your brother stops as you hear your doorbell ring.

"I'll get it," You say, getting up and walking over to the front door. You open it and look up at your visitor.

"Rin! What brings you here? It's late." You say. 

Rin scowls, looking down at you. "I know that, but I need to talk to you. Are you busy?" He asks. "Um, no," You respond, looking back to see Izumi looking at you. You look back at Rin. "No, I'm not busy." You say. "Get a jacket. It's cold out."

"You mean we're not staying here?"

"No, it's probably warm and stuffy in there." 

You sigh and walk over to your shoes and slip them on. "Izu, I'm going out." You say. Izu nods, going back in the living room. You walk out your house, shutting the door behind you. "You're not gonna grab a jacket?" Rin asks. You shake your head. "No, I don't need one." You say. Rin shakes his head. "Don't come to me if your shivering cold." He says as he starts walking. You stick your tongue out at him. "Whatever. What do you want to talk about?" You ask, following behind him. 

"You joined the swim club?"

"Oh, you know about that? Who told you?"

"Nagisa. He sounded really happy when he told me. I'm happy for you." Rin says, shoving his hands in his pockets. You power walk to catch up to him. "Stop walking so fast." You grumble. "Stop walking so slow." He retorts. You sigh. "What are you in a rush for anyway? Ri-"

"Look."

"Huh?"

"At the sky."

You look up, your eyes widening. The stars were bright, and they shined the brightest that you've ever seen. When you look over at Rin to say something, he was just staring at you with this soft expression on his face. "What?" You ask, playing with your hair. "Nothing, I just..." 

You raise an eyebrow at his strange behavior. "Rin? What's wrong with you?" You ask, frowning as he shakes his head. You sigh, walking closer to him. "Why won't you tell me what's wrong?" You ask, grabbing his hand. He tenses at your touch, then relaxes. "I....can't do this any longer, (Y/n).." 

"Do what, Rin?" You ask, your eyebrows furrowing in worry. "This, (Y/n)," He says, squeezing your hand. "I'm in love with you, (Y/n). I wake up every morning, afraid that one day you'll wake up and not feel the same about me. I've felt this way about you for so many years, and it has never went away, I've never thought or considered any other girl because my heart is so devoted to you, and just knowing that you share the feelings you have for me with someone else, hurts me everyday. I want you, all of your love, and undivided attention. I need you, because without you, I don't know how I possibly could go without you. Every time I'm with you, my love grows even more for you, and I never thought that was possible. I can't go on like this."

You inhale sharply, looking at him in his eyes. It was filled with so much hurt, so much love, so much anger... 

"What are you saying, Rin?" 

"I can't be friends with you, (Y/n). I know, you want me to be patient. And I've tried (Y/n), I tried so hard. But it just.... It hurts so much.." 

"If it hurts you, and this is the only way to resolve that..... then I understand," You say, removing your warm hand from his cold one. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Maybe things will change, but right now, I can't do it." Rin says, smiling painfully at you. You nod, as you turn to walk away.

It wasn't cold before, but as you walked home, alone, it felt like it was below freezing in your heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear you and rin will never kiss lol
> 
> Thanks for Reading!  
> ~Skies


	17. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hopefully i can update more! i've been sooooooo lazy. and this chapter is short, i cannot.
> 
> AND 400+ HITS I CANNOT KSKSKSKSKKSK
> 
> Warning: This chapter has mentions of depression and suicide. I apologize if it hurts or offends you in any way.

You open your eyelids slowly to the knocking at your door. You don't speak, you just sit there in silence, waiting for the person to speak.

"Nii-chan? It's Sunday. Would you like to call your friends and do something?"

You move your eyes to your window, the sun beaming through your sheer curtains. "Nii-chan?" Izumi speaks again, cracking open your door enough to peek in. "Are you alright? Do you feel sick? You look super pale.." 

You look at your little brother, your dead (e/c) eyes boring into his. "I'm fine." You answer, your voice hoarse and scratchy. Izumi walks over to you, his face neutral as ever, but his eyes show a lot of concern for you. "(Y/n)," He starts, taking your cold hand into his warm ones. "what's the matter?" You look at your hands and his, your body shivering at his warmth. 

"He left me.."

"Huh? Who?"

"Like how everyone else did.....he left me...again..."

"(Y/n), who left you?"

You lick your chapped lips, breathing in slowly. Your chest hurt every time you inhaled, it felt like someone was reaching inside your chest and ripping your heart out. "(Y/n)." 

You look up at your brother, and for once, his face showed so much worry. "I want to help you. I want to be here for you. But I need you to tell me what's hurting you...who's hurting you." He says. You nod, looking down at your lap. You explain last nights events to Izumi, and he listens to you. 

"It just hurts so bad, Izu," You say, pulling your hand away from his. "I want to support him, be there for him, and be his best friend, like I always have been. But now that we have feelings that are more than just on a friend level, things are changing..... I'm hurting him, when I should be healing him, and helping him. I don't know what love really feels like, but I know the feelings that I have for Rin and Haru are not just a "like" anymore. It's more than that. And I don't know how to sort out my feelings, I've never felt this way......all my life, I've just felt.....lonely, y'know? Like I really just don't have a purpose." 

Izumi nods, as if he's soaking up all the information you just told him. "I understand, sis. All my life I just had a grandmother, who meant nothing to me. She hurt me, and made me feel like my life has no meaning. I wanted to kill myself, (Y/n), I really did. But deep in my heart, I knew that one day, all of it was going to change, all of it was going to end. Then you came.."

You look at Izumi, the tears welling up in your eyes. "I tried to be good enough, Izu, I really tried." You say, your built up tears flowing like a waterfall. Izumi smiles softly at you. "It's not that your not good enough, (Y/n), Rin just feels that his decision is best for him and you right now. I'm pretty sure you weren't a burden or anything, but you both are third-years, and you guys need to focus. This is just how things are right now, and you need to accept it." 

You nod, as Izumi pulls you into a hug. You wept in his arms, holding him tightly, as if he was going to let you go.

For the first time in years, you felt like you had family.

*~*

"Really, Rin? Why would you do that?"

"I don't know what else to do, man." 

"The last thing she needs right now is someone leaving her. She goes through a lot. But of course, she doesn't talk to anyone about it."

"Well the last thing I need is a heavy heart, Sousuke. She's not the only one that's in pain right now." Rin says, crossing his arms. "I know your hurting, Rin. I totally get that. But don't you think you should've went about it a different way?" Sousuke inquires. Rin shrugs. "I don't know, I've never been in this situation before." 

Sousuke places his hand on his chin, making a low hum. "Okay, I know your not going to change your mind. Just give each other some space so things could calm down. If you saw her now, she'd probably resort to aggression or something related to that," He says. "How long are you willing to wait?" Rin groans. "I don't know. It's not like I don't want to see her at all but...." He sighs in defeat. 

"I know, you probably don't know what to do. But you need her dude, you know that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Skies


	18. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow lmfaoaoaooao i really didn't post in like forever. but ya, a chappie for ya.

"You have to come, (N/n)-chan!"

You frown, as you stare at the clinging Nagisa. Your (e/c) eyes wander over to Gou, as she nods vigorously. "The prefectural tournament is the day after tomorrow!"

"It's not like I'm participating, why do I have to come to practice?"

Gou sighs, before looking at you directly in the eye. "Its been forever since you last came to practice, and everyone really misses you. And, we don't really spend time together anymore..." She says, smiling softly. Nagisa nods, clinging onto your arm tighter than before. "Especially Haru-chan!" He says.

"I literally saw Haru this morning." You deadpan. 

"Well, you know what I mean!" 

You sigh, waving them off lazily. "Alright, alright, I'll go. Is that all you came here for? I'm kinda busy." You say, slipping your arm out of Nagisa's grasp, much to his dismay. "W-Well, Nagisa! Go on and tell her!" Gou says, looking at Nagisa expectantly. "What? Why me? You know how she gets with these things!" He counters. You groan in annoyance. "On with it already."

"Well... we've noticed a huge difference in Rin's behavior... and yours.. so did.. you know... something happen?" Gou asks, looking at you with eagerness in her eyes. 

"Why? Is Rin okay?" You ask, narrowing your eyes. Gou nods instantly. "Y-Yeah! Rin is fine, he just seems a lot more distant...? I don't even know if that's the right word to describe it." She replies. 

"Oh. Nothing happened. Everything is fine." 

"Nothing? Like, absolutely nothing?" Nagisa inquires. You nod. "Nope. Nothing." 

"Oh, well.... if you see him can you tell him to answer my calls or messages? He's so annoying..." Gou says, grumbling. "Yeah, I guess. Does it matter though? We're going to see him at the tournament." You say. Gou furrows her eyebrows. "I have to wish him good luck!" She exclaims. You sigh. "Whatever."

"Your coming to the tournament, right (Y/n)?"

You blink at Nagisa in surprise, he never really uses your first name so seriously like that. You nod. "Of course."

"Great!" He cheers. 

*~*

"At last, prefecturals start tomorrow! Everyone, please make sure you get plenty of rest today! We'll meet tomorrow in front of the venue at 8 am sharp! Tardiness is strictly prohibited. Is everyone ready?" 

"(N/n)-chan isn't here!" Nagisa whines, looking worried. "(L/n)-kun isn't either.." Rei adds. 

"(Y/n) will get here when she gets here." Haru responds. 

Nagisa pouts. "Aw...okay.." He says, making Gou smile. "Cheer up, Nagisa. (Y/n) will get here. But now we have no time to waste!" Gou exclaims. 

"Then, let's go over the schedule one more time. The first day will be for individual events, and the second day is the relay. Our entries in the individual events are... Nagisa in the 100m breaststroke."

"Yep!"

"Rei, the 100m butterfly."

"Yes."

"Haru will swim the 100m and 200m freestyle. And I'll do the 100m backstoke, and the 200m freestyle." Makoto explains. "But Tachibana-kun, why did you choose the 200m freestyle instead of the 100?" Miss Ama asks. "Because I'd have absolutely no chance against Haru in the 100m." Makoto replies. 

"Makoto-senpai, you've worked really hard and spent more time training everyday in preparation of the 200m freestyle, haven't you?" Rei inquires. Makoto smiles. "Though I still feel like it isn't enough to compete with Haru." He answers. 

"Izumi, stop pulling my arm!!"

"Stop moving so slow, we're late." 

Everyone looks over at you and Izumi in surprise, as you try to pull your arm out of your strong little brothers grasp _(R.I.P your arm :( )_. Nagisa's face lights up. "(N/n)-chan! You're here!" He says, running up to you in excitement. You jump in surprise, scowling. "I said I'd come, didn't I?" You say, snatching your arm out of Izumi's hold.

"Your mean just like Rin!"

"Stop comparing me to him!" You retort, reaching your hand up to karate chop him, until a strong hand stops you. Your eyes widen in surprise as you look over at the person grabbing your arm. 

"Haru? Hey, let me go." 

He lowered his arm, his hand still holding onto your wrist as he stares at you intently. "What? Why are you staring at me like that?" You ask, as he moves closer to your face, and your cheeks dust pink, retracting slowly. 

"Did we miss something?" Nagisa asks innocently, making you and Haru look at him. 

"No! You didn't! S-Shouldn't you guys be practicing?"

*~*

"What is it?" You ask, looking at your dark haired friend. 

"You left your jacket at my house, I washed it." Haru says, holding out your swim club jacket. You take it gingerly. "Thanks," You reply.

"You didn't come to the first day of the tournament today."

You tear your gaze away from Haru's ocean blue orbs, clutching onto your returned Iwatobi Swim Club jacket. "Yeah, sorry about that. I'll come tomorrow for sure. I just wasn't feeling it today." You say, finally looking at him once more. "Rin asked about you. He wants you to come to the tournament." Haru says. Your eyes widened. "What?"

"He figured you wouldn't go because of him. But he wants you to go and be supportive for us. I do too." 

You nod, slightly relieved that Rin wasn't all the way done with you yet.

"I know I haven't been as supportive as I can lately... but Haru... I've got your back, okay?"

Haru nods, as you both share a sweet, warm hug _(cringe lmfaoooooo)_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Skies


	19. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for 800+ hits, i know this story is trash lmfaoosoaoaoao
> 
> anyway, enjoy/

"You were amazing today, Haru. I bet scouts from all over the country will start contacting you." 

Haru looks away, obviously not showing any signs of concern. "Hey, I think it's really cool. I mean, you know. It can't be that hard to pick one, right?" You say lightheartedly, playing with the zipper of your jacket. The silence was killing you, but there was nothing you could say. You weren't getting scouted for your swimming abilities, so you wouldn't understand. You were a talented swimmer, but you weren't sure if you would dedicate your life to it. 

"If you do get scouted, what will you do?" Makoto asks, making you and Haru look at him. You look at Haru expectantly, as he looks away from Makoto. "Nothing, probably." He replies, as you both start to walk up the stairs. "So you'd decline?" 

"It doesn't matter whether they contact me or not," Haru says, stopping in his tracks. "I swim because I want to." 

You stop and look back at Haru, slightly frowning. You notice Makoto making the same expression as you, as Haru looks back at him. 

"What?" He asks.

"It's nothing. Goodnight Haru, (Y/n)." Makoto says, smiling softly as he heads to his house. "Night." You reply, looking over at Haru. 

He looks at you as well, his blue eyes slightly softening. You close your eyes and sigh. "C'mon. Izumi's probably wondering where I'm at, since he went ahead of us." 

Haru nods, as you both continue home.

*~*

"The men's 400m medley relay will now begin."

You watch as Rin and Haru talk. You sigh, hoping everything will work out okay. "I know our boys will be okay. I'm sure they'll pull it off. There's a famous saying that goes, "It isn't the strong who win. It is the winners who are strong!" Miss Ama says, making you slump your shoulders even more. 

"Relax, (N/n), everything will be fine, okay? The good thing is that your here, when we need you." Gou says, smiling at you.

You nod. "I do what I can." You reply. 

You jump as Izumi hits your arm. "Ouch! Izu-"

"Shut up. The race is about to start." Izumi scolds. You roll your eyes as you look over at the pool. 

"On your marks.... Get set.... Go!"

You watch intently, as Makoto dives into the water. You sigh, "His reaction time was off." You murmur. _But he'll be fine_.

You couldn't help but find yourself silently praying for the best. You wanted them to win, but if they didn't you would still be just as proud. You loved them, they were your family. 

And just like that you started thinking about Rin. Wishing things hadn't come to this. It's like things came back together, then fell apart again. Yes, you had Haru, but you weren't really complete without Rin. You had everyone else but him. 

"We lost.." You blink, not even noticing that you had spaced out.

"But at least we made it past the prelims. We're through to regionals!" 

You watch as Sousuke walks off, leaving a confused Rin. _What's up with him..?_

*~*

"Your friends lost," 

"When you say it like that, it makes us seem like losers. They're my team, Sou." 

"Right. Sorry." 

You groan. "Once again, outdone by Samezuka Academy. Must be because Rin is your coach. Maybe I should be coach for Iwatobi! I do know all the strokes," You say, egotistically. Sousuke rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Where's Izumi?" He asks. "With the swim team, of course. Only reason why I'm not with him is because I absolutely had to come see you, you've been ignoring my texts." You say in annoyance. "Yeah, you couldn't wait 'til after our meeting?"

"No, I couldn't! Sousuke... why didn't you seem happy when you guys won at the tournament? Your my cousin, I know you better than I know myself. You should've been exhilarated." You say. "I was." Sousuke replies dryly. "Well, you have a funny way of showing it... is something the matter?"

"Nothing for you to be concerned about. I have to go." Sousuke says, walking away. Sousuke has never given you the cold shoulder _(Lmfaooo, get it? Bc his shoulder is messed up? LMFAOAOA okay thats not funny)_ before. The sight of him walking away from your question made your blood boil in anger.

"Sousuke! I'm not done with you!"

"Uh, (Y/n), your distracting everyone. If your staying, keep it down." 

You look over to see Rin standing beside you. You quickly step away, frowning. "Sorry, sorry. I was just leaving." You say quickly, walking off. _Phew, saved myself_.

*~*

The more you thought about it, the more it made you angry. One minute everything was fine, next minute all hell has broken loose. You sigh, flopping onto your _almost_ worn out couch. "I'm home." You hear faintly, knowing it was Izumi. You don't see him walk in the living room to go to his room, so you assume he's in the kitchen, or something. You sigh, life is so complicated, for what?

Izumi peeks out the kitchen, looking at you worriedly. "Hey, sis, you alright?" He asks. You nod. "Just dandy. How was everything?"

"Just dandy." He mocks, making you roll your eyes. You sat there for a few minutes, pondering all your life choices and what you would eat later. Then it hit you like a ton of bricks. You could fix everything. If you just backtracked correctly, everything would fall into place again. 

Starting with Sousuke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for Reading!  
> ~Skies


	20. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wowie zowie, i'm going to start updating babes. life has been horrible for me, but i will update for youuiuiu. and im on schedule heeehhehehe
> 
> you know what i just realized? This story is kinda realistic to be based of an anime. But likeee if everything was based off of an episode you've already watched, wouldn't be boring without a pinch of spice? ya, i agree/
> 
> Warning: This chapter contains minor swearing. If swearing offends you in any kind of way, I apologize in advance.

You look around the hotel with a bored look on your face. Of course you got room privileges due to the fact that you were a part of the swim team. Since Mao wasn't allowed to come far outside of town, you really just shared a room with Izumi. You sighed, wishing you could have your own room. But at least you weren't unfortunate enough to be room with someone other than a family member.

"Like our training camp last year?!"

You snap out of your thoughts, looking over at Nagisa with a confused look. "What are you talking about?" Gou questions, sighing.

"That's right. You're the stars of this show, after all. However, there is a famous saying that goes: "There is nothing more expensive than that which comes free, for it is priceless!" So make sure you all put up good results, okay?" Miss Ama says, as you all begin to walk in.

"Right..."

Spacing out again, you didn't notice everyone stopped, until...

"(Y/n)-chan! Gou-san!"

As if things could get any worse! There's that orange-haired weirdo. Not like you were against orange hair.... And how could you not notice him before! There's Rin, in all his red-haired glory.(magenta? It kinda look magenta lol). What was up with you and hair today?

"Oh, it's Onii-chan's team!"

"What, you guys are staying here, too?" Rin asks, looking at Gou. You sighed in relief, glad he didn't look your way or anything. Not like you didn't want him to, it just wasn't his turn to be incorporated into your plan.

"Yep! Good to see you, Ai-chan!" Nagisa chanted.

"Like I keep saying, please don't call me that!"

"That reminds me, Sousuke-kun," Gou begins, instantly grabbing your attention. "I saw you at the station near our house the other day. What were you up to?"

Sousuke seemed surprised at her question, his normally low eyes wide as saucers, and his mouth slightly parted. Rin also looked at him with worry, not like you were watching him, of course. "Oh, nothing." Sousuke replies blandly.

"Gou-san! Please pay attention to me, not Yamazaki-senpai!"

And, you space out again. I mean, it wasn't like he was bugging you, and he obviously forgot you were even there. But then again, you stood by Izumi, who always blends in fairly well. Plus, you figured Gou could survive this one on her own.

You snap out of your thoughts as Rin drags Momo away from you guys. "We're going." He says, his voice sorta hinted with annoyance.

"See you later." Sousuke says, as he passes through your slightly dispersed group, completely acting like you weren't there! Why that little-

Nevermind that! Your going to get under Sousuke Yamazaki's skin, after all, he is family. How hard can that be? You two are basically the same blood! Cousins!

You bit your lip as you closed your eyes. Well, actually, it can be very hard.

*~*

PHASE 1: FAMILY TROUBLES

Why of course, family always comes first, so it's only natural that you would attempt to decipher a plan to start with. Sousuke was always there for you. And yeah, you've given him hard times too, so there wasn't a real reason to get super saiyan angry (i'm sorry i rlly love dbz//). So what could help your situation? Yes, you both have short tempers, and you both argued like brother and sister, but Sousuke always had more patience with you, if he was caught at the right time, at the right place, in the right mood.

Wait, right place, right time? Everything is so hectic due to the tournament tomorrow, how could you possibly catch him at the right time, let alone the right place!

Okay, (Y/n), calm down. Everyone's busy with something, even Izumi is out. Now you could get busy with what's at utmost importance to you. Fixing everything.

You sit back on the neatly folded white sheets of the hotel bed. _You could do it (Y/n). Just think_.

That's it! You would just give him some space, then he would come around. But how much space does the guy need? You barely see him.

Oh well, you can't complain. This plan will be set in motion. All you need is to be in the right place, at the right time.

*~*

"It's finally time!"

"I'm getting nervous." Rei comments. 

Makoto and I look at Haru, who is sandwiched between us. "Haru, what's wrong?" I ask, slightly worried, but Makoto showed more emotion than me.

"Nothing." Was Haru's dry response. And off to your world you went. Something was wrong with everybody. But what could you possibly expect? You guys were third-years now. Well, with an exception of some people. You knew you couldn't fix everything, but they always worried about you, so it was the perfect way to pay them back. 

Of course some of them didn't have issues at the moment, but who said they wouldn't in the future?

"Hey, where's Coach Sasabe?"

And it's always the smallest things that snap you out of your trances. Wow, you've been really dazed lately, (Y/n).

"The swimming club's going to be busy today, so he said he couldn't come." Miss Ama explains. Nagisa pouts. "Aw, how could you, Goro-chan?!" He whines. 

"Hey sis," 

You look over at Izumi, who sat on the opposite side of you. "Do you think.... we'll win? I mean, realistically speaking, Samezuka is a lot better.." He says. Good thing it was loud, and he was a good whisperer. But it doesn't stop you from scowling at the thought of them losing. Yeah, they tend to be pretty light-hearted, but this tournament is serious business. Losing this, could mess up everything. Scholarship opportunities, emotions, and things you didn't really want to think about.

"They will win. _We_ will win."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I just have that feeling. And even if I'm wrong, they're all winners to me, regardless." You reply. Izumi nods. "Your a good friend."

God knows you try.

You look over at Haru, to see his eyes looking around frantically. You could see exactly what he was looking at. The scouts of course. They were scattered everywhere. And his face may have looked calm, but his ocean blue always said something otherwise. Makoto seemed to notice you staring at Haru with concern, and frowns. "Haru?" Nope. "Haru?" No response. "Hey, Haru!"

Haru snaps out his stupor and looks over at Makoto, who looks even more worried then before. "You sure you're okay?" He asks. Haru relaxes and looks away. "Yeah. It's nothing." He says. But you knew what was wrong, but now wasn't the best time to speak on the situation. You place your hand on his pale ones, making him look up at you quickly. He knows it's you, but he seems so startled by almost everything. He doesn't realize it, or maybe he does, but he still gives your hand a squeeze. And you hope it gives him some type of reassurance. Because you were here, and he needed to know that.

"It's just about time." Rei says, standing along with Nagisa. "Let's go, Haru-chan!" The blonde chants cheerfully.

"Go get 'em guys!" Gou encourages. They all nod and form into a circle, and of course you squeezed yourself into it.

"Then, let's each do the best we can and stay focused!"

And they all seem excited and ready. Except for Haru. 

*~*

You noticed the moment Haru stepped onto that board, he wasn't ready. And your heart stopped. Your breath got caught in your throat. The starting sound alarms you slightly, as they all dive into the water. Haru seemed fine at first, but he wasn't really focused.

And just like that, he _stopped_. 

Being surprised is an understatement, you were completely flabbergasted, just like everyone else. 

You watched as he looked up, your heartbeat quickening with worry. What will he do? He's disqualified, so what _can_ he do?

"Haru-chan..."

You had never seen him like that before. Sure, he's been unfocused before, but that was rare. So this alone made you panic. What could you do? The race is over, he's walking to the locker rooms.

You never darted down the stairs so quick in your life.

*~*

"Haru! What do you think you were doing? Why the hell did you do that?!" Rin says, approaching Haru with such anger and aggressiveness, it would've scared you if you didn't know him. And you weren't scared, but your body refused to let you walk in that room. So listened outside the walls, hoping you wouldn't have to intervene and Rin could handle it on his own. But this was Rin we were talking about. You kinda had that feeling things really wouldn't go as you hoped. 

"It has nothing to do with you," Haru responds dryly. 

"Like hell if it doesn't! This was an important match with all the scouts watching!"

"What do I care about that?"

Now you really saw the severity of the situation. Rin was going to make this worse. But did you want to come face to face with two of your closest friends? Not like you haven't before, but the answer was no. 

"Because scouts were watching? So i can set records in front of a crowd? None of that is what I swim for."

A little peek never hurts. But now you were damn near standing in the doorway, not like you noticed, or cared. 

"Then what do you swim for?" 

"I swim for myself and my friends!"

"Then swim for those friends, and your own sake! Do you not understand that what you do out there is going to impact your future? Don't you have a dream?! Take this more seriously! I know you could-"

You jumped as Haru banged his fist into the locker. Now that was scary. When do you ever see Haru lose his temper like that? Slim to none. "You're the one who doesn't understand! What dream? What future? It's you who cares about all that! I'm not you! I don't have any of that!" 

And there was a moment of silence. Only a moment, but it terrified you. Then he started walking your way. Your heart raced. He didn't see you, right? He's looking down so-

"(Y/n)? You were here?" 

He seems surprised for a minute, even Rin looks at a loss for words. "I-I um...."

"Haru-chan!!"

As always, you were saved by your friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You must be wondering why I add a warning to almost all of my chapters. Well think of it as this, you never know what could really offend somebody. I don't want anybody to take anything personal//
> 
> Thanks for Reading!  
> ~Skiess


End file.
